A Tale of Spilled Coffee
by Jess13
Summary: Sam and Daniel meet accidentally in an alternate universe, where neither of them has heard of the Stargate program. SD pairing. Final chapter now up!
1. Default Chapter

A Tale of Spilled Coffee

Author: Jess

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe

Archive: anywhere, just let me know where it's going and keep my name on it.

Summary: Sam and Daniel meet accidentally in an alternate universe, where neither of them has heard of the Stargate program.

Subjects: S/D friendship, possibly romance, angst, smarm, alternate universe

Spoilers: none that I can think of.

Season: none specific really, though takes place around the same timeframe as S1 in "our" reality.

Disclaimer: I'm not making any money off of this. None of the characters belong to me; they belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This story is copyrighted April 2005 and may not be used or altered without the express permission of the author.

A/N: Thanks to Beth for the beta!

* * *

Chapter 1

"Mochaccino Grande with skim milk?"

"Uh, that's me."

The young man nodded and handed the cup of hot, steaming, something-resembling-coffee to the slim blonde in her thirties.

"Thanks," she nodded as she took the cup and collected some napkins with her free hand.

"Can I help the next person?" the man called out, his voice sailing above her as she spotted a booth in a sunny spot against the window.

Samantha Carter eased herself down into the seat, removing her purse from her shoulder and placing her hardcover book on the far end of the table. She took a small sip of the drink and grimaced, as it was still a bit too hot.

She placed it back down on the table, picked up her book and opened it to the page she'd last left off. It was a somewhat thick book, bearing the boring title "Astrophysics and Space Science." Sam had a PhD in Astrophysics, and worked as an assistant professor at Colorado State University in Colorado Springs. She hadn't been at the job very long, at least not here. She had earned her PhD from GWU in Maryland, and had been an adjunct faculty member for about two years. Her salary wasn't all that great, as an adjunct professor, and before she had given any thought to resigning and finding work elsewhere, word came that she would be transferred over to CSU. She hoped it would lead to a better position, and luckily the odds were on her side, although "assistant professor" wasn't much higher up the ladder from "adjunct professor."

She sighed heavily as she recalled the move she made. She wasn't entirely happy about it, as her family was still in the D.C. area, especially her father, who was an Air Force General. Her mother had died in an accident when Samantha was young. At first, she blamed her father, but after time they grew closer, and she began to respect him for the new role he was now playing in her life. She had an older brother who always seemed a bit aloof, especially when he was a teenager. Once he moved away, married and had a family, however, they became close again, sharing long phone conversations if they weren't able to visit. Her life was almost perfect there, and she wasn't happy about leaving it.

Almost perfect, except for one thing: her love life. She'd always been very bookish, graduating in the top 5 of her class in both junior high and high school. She didn't socialize nearly as much as the other girls, and didn't get to meet many people outside school, especially of the opposite sex. Sure, she had friends – close friends, but no one really outside that small, elite circle. One of them, Sara Wilson, had been her friend since freshman year of high school. The two were very close, but drifted apart after graduation. Sara ended up going to college in Colorado, met a very nice man and married him. Sam would feel quite bitter as Sara would mention her boyfriend – later, husband – in countless letters and phone calls. Sara was so lucky. What was Sam doing wrong? Was it the way she looked?

She absent-mindedly tugged on a strand of her short, blonde hair, and tucked it behind her ear. She didn't think she was exactly beautiful. Sure, she looked neat, wore makeup and nice clothes, but having a man fall in love with her physical appearance wasn't necessarily her goal. She wanted someone who would fall in love with her mind, her personality … her whole person. She was looking for someone who would complete her.

Not long after she moved here, Sara managed to look her up through one of her other old friends, and invited Sam over to her house a few times. Sam never accepted, afraid that her envy of Sara's seemingly perfect life would cause her to do something foolish in her presence. She'd give Sara various excuses – too much work to do, not feeling well, etc. The last time Sara had invited her over; there was a suspicious lilt in her voice. Sam knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up and would have to give in eventually.

Sam made acquaintances with the various other faculty members she encountered in the Earth and Space Sciences department. Once in a while, she would join them for social engagements, even for drinks at a local pub. She always dressed nicely and kept a positive attitude. She would appear unassuming, even though deep down her secret desire was to meet someone. Of late, she was unsuccessful.

She finally gave in and decided to sign up for a dating service. She filled out a questionnaire and waited to hear any responses. She'd gotten a few from time to time, but the men never seemed to be what she was looking for. One man seemed much too bold for her tastes; adding to that, the many cats he shared his house with made her allergies flare up to a dangerous degree.

After three prospective boyfriends, she gave up for the time being and un-subscribed from the service. Maybe she wasn't meant to love or be loved, family notwithstanding. Maybe a soul mate just wasn't in the cards for her. She should stop trying and just concentrate on her work.

With a sharp sigh, she cleared her mind of these worrying thoughts and concentrated once again on the book, sipping from her cup of coffee every now and then.

She was suddenly jerked from the book when she felt an impact against the side of the booth and felt steaming hot liquid hit her blouse, nearly going through and burning her chest. This was followed by an utterance of surprise.

She gasped and immediately reached for a napkin, before she heard the voice again…

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," a man's flustered voice spoke.

Her eyes narrowed and she was planning to give the culprit both barrels. She lifted her gaze, and her brow furrowed slightly on the sight in front of her. The man was blushing a deep shade of crimson. His clear, blue eyes were deep and intensely apologetic. The somewhat large, brown wire-framed glasses, the long-ish, shaggy, light brown hair, and the plaid shirt under the periwinkle blue blazer, gave him the appearance of a professor … just like her.

She looked somewhat angry, and his eyes became even more apologetic. He set his coffee cup, which was even larger than hers, down on the table and pulled out a couple of his own napkins.

"I'm so sorry," he intoned once again as he sopped up the coffee that had spilled onto the table, before taking another clean napkin and aiming for her blouse. His cheeks seemed to become rosier and he hesitated, not wanting to actually touch her chest. She lifted her hand and he awkwardly handed the napkin to her. She began dabbing at her blouse, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Sorry," he muttered. She looked at him intently, not too happy over him spilling his coffee on her, but then again, not too angry either.

"It didn't burn you, did it?" he asked worriedly.

Dumbfounded, she looked down at her chest. She fingered her light blue blouse and took hold of it. Instinctively he turned his gaze away from her, as if he was expecting her to pull her blouse away from her skin to look down her chest. It was as if he was embarrassed and didn't want her to think he'd be looking down her chest as well.

For a moment, she looked at him and seemed amused. He didn't seem to be like any of the other guys she'd met before. There was something… childlike – boyish – about him, even though she doubted that he was younger than his early thirties. She quickly lifted her blouse away and inspected her chest. Apart from being slightly pinker than the rest of the skin, she was fine. She certainly didn't feel as if she'd been burned.

She cleared her throat softly as a signal that he could turn back around and face her. He whipped his head around, and looked at her with wide, curious eyes.

"No, I'm fine," she said, a faint smile on her lips.

She was about to invite him to sit down when he saved her the trouble.

"I really am sorry about that," he repeated as he took the seat across from her. "I suppose I ruined your morning, huh?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. No, he didn't seem to be like any of the guys she'd met before. He seemed genuinely sweet, soft-spoken, and considerate.

"No, you didn't," she said solemnly.

He seemed to relax visibly upon this assertion. He stared down at his cup of coffee, still quite shamefaced.

"I-I didn't mean to spill it on you," he continued, intentionally avoiding her gaze. "It's just that this big, burly guy raced past me and caused me to … ah … hit the …" The words tumbled from his lips as he gestured toward the end of the booth.

"Please, you don't have to explain. It's okay," Sam insisted gently. "To be quite frank, I'm actually glad this happened." She finished with a slightly awkward smile.

His brow knitted in confusion and he frowned. It only caused her smile to widen.

"I was really in need of some company," she elaborated, sounding a bit sheepish.

His eyes widened momentarily, and his slightly surprised look was replaced by an awkward smile of his own. His cheeks turned rosy once again.

She looked at him quizzically, wondering just who her new acquaintance was.

"Oh … ah, Daniel Jackson," he supplied as he leaned forward slightly and proffered his hand to her.

"Samantha Carter," she returned, accepting his hand and shaking it. She tried to ignore the slight tingling sensation that shot through her hand and up her arm as she shook his hand. It was a warmth that seemed new to her, even after all the hands of colleagues she'd shaken over the course of her career. As odd as it seemed, it made her feel safe.

"Doctor Samantha Carter," she added.

Daniel's eyebrows shot up for a split second. "Oh … ah … me too! PhD in archaeology and linguistics…"

"Wow, two PhD's? Impressive," she explained, nodding her head thoughtfully.

Daniel shifted a bit in his seat, leaned back and cocked his head.

"Ah … yeah, and a few masters degrees, too … it's really not a big deal," he said dismissively, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Are you kidding?" she gushed incredulously. "It's phenomenal! You must be some fountain of knowledge!"

"I really wish you wouldn't say that," he answered, his deepening blush and his tone revealing that he was a bit embarrassed. "I just … I've always been studious, ever since I was young. My parents played a big role in my education; they taught me a lot." His voice trailed off wistfully.

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "That's great. My dad was the same way, thought my education and upbringing was the most important thing. Sometimes his job prevented him from spending a lot of time with me, so I learned to hit the books myself."

Daniel looked at her curiously.

"He was – _is _– a General in the Air Force," she clarified.

A look of surprise briefly passed over Daniel's face. "Wow, that's certainly … different," he said awkwardly.

Sam looked at him and blinked.

"Ah … no offense," he immediately amended his statement.

Her broad smile returned and she shook her head. "It's okay. I've gotten that reaction before, especially from my fellow faculty members. So, what about your parents?"

The curious, knitted brow returned.

"What do they do?" she continued, suddenly realizing she may have pried too much.

"They're archaeologists," he answered tersely, the question appearing to bother him somewhat.

"Oh," she nodded, raising her eyebrows. "Well, I'm sure they're proud of you, then … seeing as how you have the PhD, and –"

"I haven't spoken to them for a long time," he interrupted grimly as his gaze returned to the tabletop. He looked quickly back up at her and noticed her eyes begging him to continue. He sighed heavily.

"Ah, they weren't too pleased when they found out I was going to be teaching," he continued. "They thought I should spend more time out in the field, out on digs – not teaching introductory archaeology to a hundred some-odd college kids. I suppose you could say I had a bit of a falling out with them." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry," she intoned. "My mom was killed in an accident when I was a little girl, and I blamed my father for it at first. I learned to forgive him as the years went by, though, and we became close, almost as close as a father and daughter should be. It was hard to leave Washington to come here, and I still miss him." She glanced out the window and blinked away a few tears.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, touching her arm.

She returned her gaze to him, looked at him for a fleeting moment and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about that," she said softly.

Something vaguely resembling a smile formed on his face and he shook his head. "No worries."

Her face seemed to light up as she smiled broadly. She was pleasantly surprised by this man, who only minutes earlier had spilled hot coffee on her, and was now sharing aspects of his life story with her.

She absent-mindedly looked down at her watch and her eyes widened.

"Oh geez, I have my advanced astrophysics lecture in twenty minutes!" she said, flustered as she looked back up at him with apologetic eyes.

"Oh, I didn't even realize the time," he answered back, almost as flustered. "I better get going, too. I have to prepare my lecture for this afternoon."

She looked at him with pleading eyes, not wanting to say goodbye to him just yet. "CSU?" she blurted out, almost desperately.

He cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Ah…." He trailed off, trying to figure out what she meant.

"Are you at CSU?" she tried again.

"Oh … yeah, yeah, Anthropological Sciences department," he said briskly.

He looked at her thoughtfully, a small smile gracing his lips. "PhD in astrophysics?" he guessed.

Sam grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I'm over in the Earth and Space Sciences department. I'm, uh, an assistant professor," she said, blushing slightly as she finished that last sentence.

Daniel nodded. "Are you there five days a week, or …?"

She interrupted with a nod.

"Do you always come here for coffee?" he asked hopefully.

Sam grinned amusedly. "When the coffee maker in our faculty lounge isn't working," she said.

Daniel flashed a grin at her. She was a woman after his own heart. "Do you have any paper?" he suddenly asked.

Sam fished inside her purse, and grabbed a hold of a small post-it pad. She handed it to him, and he began writing fervently. "Here are my email address, office room number and phone. If you ever want to come by and talk sometime …" he trailed off as he handed the post-it to her.

"I'd love to," she smiled, her face lighting up. She took the post-it from him, and stuck it on the most convenient thing at the time: the astrophysics textbook. She quickly scribbled down her email address and office phone for him on another post-it. He accepted it from her and buried it safely inside the pocket of his blazer.

"Well, I better go," she said as she looked at him. "It was really nice meeting you."

"Likewise," he nodded, smiling kindly. "Hope to see you again soon."

"I'll remember that," she smiled. She took one last look at him before making her way out of the coffee shop.

As she stepped out into the bright, early morning sunlight, she hummed to herself. As she walked down the street, she had a slight spring in her step and a large, infectious grin on her face whenever she thought of the sweet, bumbling archaeologist, Doctor Daniel Jackson.

* * *

_Chapter 2 coming soon!_  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A week had gone by … actually it drifted by, and Sam was blissfully unaware. The coffee maker in the faculty lounge had been fixed, unfortunately, so she didn't have any excuse to patronize the coffee shop any longer. In a way she was glad, as she found herself extremely busy. Apart from putting her lectures together, she had to author a midterm exam.

She was in the middle of typing up a multiple-choice question when her eyes unconsciously drifted over to the post-it stuck to the side of her computer monitor. It was the piece of paper on which Daniel had written down his contact information and office room number. She smiled briefly as she thought of him. Their meeting hadn't been on the best terms, but she found him endearing and forgave him for his clumsiness. It was good to have another friend to associate with, especially someone not from the same department. Listening to her colleagues discuss topics such as planetary shift, the possibility of life on Europa, and challenges to the Snowball Earth hypothesis, could get old after a while.

A knock on her office door pulled her from her thoughts of him, and she sighed heavily.

"Yeah," she called out.

The department chair – a tall, thin, middle-aged man with glasses, short, graying hair, a beard and mustache – nodded and entered the room.

"Sam, I hate to bother you … "

She chuckled inwardly, still a bit surprised at how informal people were in this department. Back when she was at GWU, almost everyone referred to her as either "Doctor Carter" or "Ms. Carter." She directed her gaze toward him and looked at him expectantly.

"… Did you receive the flyer for the next talk in the Provost's Lecture Series … Balkin's talk about seismic anisotropy of the mantle?"

"Oh … uh …" Sam began, flustered, as she quickly rummaged through the document bin on the corner of her desk.

"Yeah …" she finished, holding the flyer up for him to see.

"Great," the man answered, relieved. "I somehow misplaced my copy, and I need to post it downstairs on the bulletin board near the Geosciences main office. Mind if I make a copy of this?"

'Uh … no, go right ahead," she said, shaking her head. She eased up off her chair and handed the paper to him.

"Thanks," he nodded, giving her a smile. "I'll get this right back to you."

She gave him an awkward smile back and nodded slowly as he left the room. She didn't mind if he held onto it; she never found these talks to be very interesting, as they were mostly on strict geology or geochemistry. If someone would give a lecture on something pertaining to time dilation and black holes, or even intergalactic travel by means other than space ship across the galaxy, then maybe she'd consider attending.

_Intergalactic travel by means other than space ship across the galaxy?_ Did she just think that? _Wow, I must really be under a lot of stress_, she thought to herself and chuckled inwardly as she finished the last of the multiple-choice questions.

* * *

"At what temperature does the energy loss rate per unit volume peak for a gas of solar composition?" Sam muttered aloud as she typed up the second short answer question. She looked back at her notes, a bit uncertainly at first, and then nodded. She didn't want to make the questions too difficult for her students, but she didn't want them to be too easy either.

She was about to write up another question when she noticed a blinking red light nearly out of her field of vision. Her eyes wandered over to the right side of her desk, and she realized that the voicemail light on her phone was blinking. Sam was a bit puzzled; she checked her phone messages every morning when she came in, and was sure she'd notice it. She had been quite busy the past week, however. She was about to go back to writing up the exam, but curiosity got the better of her. She picked up the receiver and pressed the voicemail button.

"You have … one new message … sent Tuesday, April 8, 10:07 AM …"

Sam frowned. That was two days ago. Had she really gone two days without checking her voicemail?

"Ah … Hi, Samantha? I mean, Doctor Carter? I hope I have the right number," a voice began in a sheepish tone.

Sam grinned as she recognized the voice immediately. It was her coffee companion.

"Ah, anyway, if this is you, it's Daniel Jackson, from Anthropological Sciences; you know, the guy who spilled a mocha triple latte on you last week?"

She laughed softly, as his deep blush was evident in his voice.

"I haven't seen you down at the Java House at all. I've been down there every morning, and I thought I'd see you. I hope my little mishap didn't turn you off or anything," he continued, uttering a short, nervous laugh.

"Anyway, ah … I guess you're busy, but I hope to see you down there tomorrow morning. I'll even treat, if it's okay with you. Okay, I have to run. I'll talk to you later … ah, hopefully."

_Click._

"End of new messages … to erase this message, press 7; to save it in the archives, press 3; to …"

Sam hit 3 on the phone, listened to the recording prattle on, and then slowly replaced the receiver on the cradle. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. Why hadn't she listened to her voicemail earlier? Not only that, but why hadn't she made the trip down to the coffee shop? It was only on the other side of the railroad tracks from the campus – a short walk. She certainly hadn't minded going there before. She decided it was the convenience of using the coffee maker in the faculty lounge, which was only down the hall from her office. But, that was really a lame excuse. She thought about what a sweet man Doctor Jackson seemed to be, and how it would have been nice to sit with him each morning and talk.

Her guilt-ridden contemplation was interrupted by another knock on her door.

"It's open."

A man poked his head inside and smiled; the department chair, returning her flyer.

"Sorry for the delay, the Xerox machine was out of toner," he smiled as he handed the piece of paper back to her.

"Thanks, Doctor McClellan," she smiled.

The man raised his eyebrows at her.

"Uh ... sorry … Steve," she corrected herself, laughing nervously. God, it was tough getting used to that.

He grinned and nodded, pointing a finger at her amusedly before turning to leave.

"Don't forget, colloquium at four," he reminded her as he exited.

"I'll be there," she called out half-heartedly to the empty doorway.

She sighed and turned back to her computer monitor, which now featured an outer space screen saver. Sam gathered her notes and went back to the exam. As she typed each question, the guilty thoughts at the back of her mind began nagging her. She turned back to the phone, agonizing over whether she should make a quick call …

She suddenly screwed her eyes shut and shook her head. What was she doing? She had a job to do, but her guilt was eating at her. She thought of Daniel as a potential friend, one that she could really use, and in a way it felt as though she was standing him up. She thought she owed him an explanation for her MIA status.

Post-it in hand, she dialed Daniel's number. Her heart seemed to throb against her ribcage as she waited for someone to pick up. _Why am I being so silly_, she berated herself silently.

"Ah, hi, you've reached the office of Doctor Daniel Jackson. I'm either away from the office or really busy at the moment. Please leave a message after the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you."

Sam's exhaled deeply and disappointment etched across her face. She had missed him. She was belaboring whether or not to leave a message when the tone sounded, giving her a cue.

"Um… h-hi, Doctor Jackson, it's Doctor Samantha – er, Sam Carter from Earth and Space Sciences," she began nervously, the fingers of her free hand tangling the phone cord.

"I got your message on my voicemail from the other day. Uh, sorry I took so long to get back to you, I'm usually on top of my phone messages," she laughed sheepishly. "And sorry I haven't been down to meet you for coffee. They … fixed the coffee maker in the faculty lounge here, and I've been so busy writing up a midterm exam for my students. I haven't had much free time at all …"

Sam realized how long she was going on, and didn't want Daniel to be any angrier with her than he probably was right now. She decided to cut it right there.

"I guess you're not around. I'll … I'll try you again later," she blurted out before hanging up.

She leaned forward, covered her hands with her face and sighed heavily. Suddenly, she felt that she didn't have the heart to go back to the exam. She began seriously wondering what Daniel was doing, and where he could be right now. Should she take a walk over to Anthropological Sciences and see if she could find him?

"Oh, God, what am I doing?" she moaned softly. She had a responsibility as a professor to have the exam finished and ready to distribute to her students on Monday morning. True, she had tomorrow and the weekend to work on it, but she liked to have the weekends to relax. Plus, she hated saving things for the last minute.

She tried to formulate one more question, and after that, the post-it note written in Daniel's handwriting did its best to distract her. She looked down at her watch and realized it was lunchtime. Perfect, she had an excuse. She quickly thought up a plan to grab a quick lunch in the food court nearby, and then head over to the Anthro department. It was only 1 pm. She had to attend a colloquium at 4, so at least she'd get a couple more hours to work on the exam.

* * *

Sam looked around nervously as she made her way inside the imposing structure that was the SBS (Social and Behavioral Sciences) building. The seven-story building that housed the Anthropological Sciences department was located nearly across campus, probably a good mile away from Earth and Space Sciences. Luckily it was a nice, sunny day, so Sam didn't mind the walk over there. As she looked around and checked out the sign with the department names and floor numbers, she felt as if she were a student again, trying to find the rooms that housed her classes.

_Ah, Anthropological Sciences, sixth floor_, she thought to herself and double-checked the note Daniel had given her as she waited for the elevator. As it arrived on the sixth floor, the doors opened and a strong smell of bean soup invaded her nostrils. _Wow, someone really likes their Progresso_, she thought as she passed one of the lounge areas, filled with professors and grad students chowing down on various comestibles. She afforded a quick look before she turned the corner, and continued on when she realized Daniel wasn't there.

Sam's heels produced a staccato-like rhythm as she briskly made her way down the corridor towards room 618, Daniel's office. Her rhythm slowed a bit the closer she got, until she was standing right outside the room. Sam raked a nervous hand through her hair, wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her skirt, and cleared her throat. She grew more nervous when she realized that his door was partly open. She couldn't hear much sound coming from the room, apart from the occasional rustling of papers.

Sam crept up to the door and knocked timidly. No answer.

_Guess he's busy_, she surmised, giving a tiny shrug. She sighed and turned to walk away when she stopped in her tracks. Why was she giving up? Her guilt over avoiding the man had guided her clear across campus during her lunch hour, and now she was ready to turn back? She turned back to the door, steeled herself and knocked a bit louder.

No answer.

Sam's brow knitted in confusion. She gingerly pushed the door open and peered inside. Daniel Jackson – or at least someone who sort of resembled him – was sitting not at his desk, but at a small table in the center of the room. His glasses were perched on top of his head, he had a bit of five o'clock shadow, and his long hair was slightly unruly, nearly hanging in his eyes.

Sam felt her heart do a flip-flop when she witnessed him in this state. She'd never seen him without his glasses. Granted, she'd only seen him once, but she had to admit that he was quite an attractive man. _Stop!_ she scolded herself. She knew having these kinds of feelings for someone she'd just met was inappropriate. Instead, she concentrated on how different he looked: the five o'clock shadow and the messy hair presented a picture of a man who hadn't gotten much sleep. Her eyes traveled down and noticed that his buttoned down shirt was a bit rumpled. They began to wander down even further, when she stopped them and they began to wander back up to his face. The dark circles under his eyes were enough to make her pity him.

At that moment, she decided that maybe it was best if she left him alone. His appearance told her that he probably wasn't in the mood for company right now. Somewhere deep inside her was the irrational possibility that he hated her – for lying to him and for practically blowing him off. Dropping in on him like this would just make it worse. She shook her head slightly and berated herself. _Sam, you're a grown woman; stop thinking like a child. Of course he doesn't hate you. _

In the end, her conscience won out, as she realized that he deserved an explanation in the very least, even if it was just "I'm sorry, I didn't forget about you" and then leaving him to his own devices. She knocked once more, but Daniel failed to notice as he was concentrating intently on the papers before him.

"Uh … D-Doctor Jackson?" she stammered.

That got his attention.

Sam smiled sheepishly as Daniel finally looked up from his papers. He raised his eyebrows and his mouth opened slightly. The blonde sticking her head in between his door some 15 feet away looked a bit familiar, but he needed a better look.

His long bangs drooped forward even more as he removed the glasses from the top of his head, and perched them on his nose. Once his eyes adjusted to the sharper field of vision, he recognized the woman in front of him and his eyebrows flew up.

"Samantha?" he said, his voice small and a touch incredulous.

She could feel the warmth flooding her cheeks as he said her name. She smiled softly and nodded.

"You can call me 'Sam', though. All my friends call me that," she said awkwardly, still smiling like a lovesick teenager.

Daniel's brow creased a bit as he attempted to push his hair back from his face. "Oh. Well … okay," he said curiously, his voice at odds with his body language as he shrugged.

Sam's smile faded as she noticed him looking back down at the papers, tip of a red pen in the corner of his mouth. He removed it once to jot down a few notes on the paper. She could feel disappointment welling up inside her as he failed to acknowledge her presence any further.

"Uh, d-did I come at a bad time?" she stammered.

He looked back up at her abruptly and once he read the disappointment in her face, he edged up, returned the papers to his desk, and looked back at her with apologetic eyes.

"Samantha – Sam. Hello," he said, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry, please …" He gestured for her to enter, which she did, closing the door behind her.

"I …" she hesitated, trying to decide how she should begin. "I'm sorry about being MIA; I've just been so busy."

"I got your message," he nodded. "It's okay. I was just hoping to have someone to talk to, but if you were busy, I understand," he conceded.

Sam gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks. I didn't want you to think I was avoiding you or anything."

Daniel smiled and shook his head. He noticed her looking him over again, and twitching a curious eyebrow at him.

"I … I must look like the living dead, huh?" he chuckled ruefully.

Sam grinned.

"Truth is, I'm just exhausted," he continued. "I've been up late grading papers." He turned to take a sip of the half-full cup of coffee to his left.

Sam cocked her head and her brow furrowed in confusion. "You've been here since last night?" she asked, seemingly perplexed.

Daniel started laughing, and in the process, spewed coffee all over the tabletop. Sam reflexively jumped back a couple of feet, afraid he'd get more coffee on her, and it made him laugh harder.

She looked at him curiously, then formed a slight smile and forced a soft laugh.

"Sorry," he told her once he'd calmed down. "I'm not usually this giddy."

"Too bad," Sam said cheekily, smirking at him.

Daniel grinned. "Anyway, no, I haven't been here all night. I took my work home, sat up and graded papers till 4 AM, then got here at 7."

"You've only had three hours of sleep?" she asked him seriously.

"Actually more like two," he said grimly.

"God, you must be exhausted!" she exclaimed.

He gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged.

"Why don't you put that down and take a break? We could go outside and talk, or get some lunch, or –"

He held up his hands and interrupted her. "I wish I could, but I can't."

"You can't?" she repeated incredulously.

Daniel shook his head wearily. "I really have to finish these."

Sam felt as if a tiny part of her was dying as he rejected her offer. "You don't want to?" she asked quietly.

Daniel chuckled softly. "It's not that I don't _want_ to, I just _can't_," he insisted.

"You don't even want lunch? You have to eat …" she trailed off, suddenly wondering why she was worrying about someone she didn't know very well. Did his friendship really mean that much to her?

"It's okay, one of the other faculty members will bring me something back."

_One of the other faculty members?__ Would this faculty member happen to be female?_ Uh-oh. Sam felt as if she'd been struck with a heavy blow. Was she actually beginning to cultivate feelings of jealousy? Over someone she hardly knew? Oh, boy.

Sam folded her arms and held her chin up with her right hand, as if she was seriously contemplating something. She tried to avoid Daniel's bewildered gaze, but she found it impossible as she could see his expression out of the corner of her eye.

"Well … okay," she sighed. "You don't want to just take a little break and talk? I mean, I feel so bad for avoiding you like that, and –"

"Like I told you before, it's okay," he insisted. "And I'm really sorry, but I can't – not right now. I promised my students I'd get these papers back to them by this afternoon."

Sam put her dejected feelings on hold, sucked up and put on a happy face. "Those students can be manipulative little buggers, can't they?" she said, smirking impishly.

Daniel shot her a surprised look. He obviously hadn't known her long at all, but he certainly wasn't expecting her to come out with that.

She noticed his reaction and her cheeks flamed.

"Uh …" she began awkwardly, emitting a tiny cough. "I mean … well, they are to me…"

Daniel's incredulous look remained.

"I … I'm sorry, that was really stupid," she said ruefully, shaking her head.

His lips edged up in a little smile, and his laugh was soft and affectionate.

"It's okay," he said kindly. "Look, I'm really sorry about this. I should have called you and told you I was busy."

"Well … you didn't know that I would drop by," she conceded, still embarrassed.

Daniel shrugged, and then studied her face for a few moments. "Maybe not, but it would have been the polite thing to do. I guess that sounds ridiculous. I mean, we've only met, and I've already blown my first impression with you."

Sam grinned. "Not in my opinion."

Daniel's cheeks flushed. He hesitated for a moment, and then gave her a little smile. "Well, I really should get back to these. I promise I'll give you a call later this afternoon –"

"Oh, actually I have to attend a colloquium at 4," she blurted out.

"Okay, then I'll call you tomorrow morning. Sound good?"

Her lips edged upward in a smile and she nodded. "Yeah."

"Great," he smiled back.

She made her way to the door and turned back to give him one final smile before exiting. She had a warm feeling inside her as she made her way down the hall, but couldn't help feeling slightly dejected all the same. She still felt overwhelmingly guilty for missing his call, and for not meeting him for coffee.

As she settled back into her office, and went back to writing up the midterm exam, she couldn't help playing the events over in her mind, and wondering if she should have avoided barging in on him in the first place. After thinking about it for some time, she decided that it wasn't a mistake; if she hadn't done it, perhaps he would have given up on her altogether.

The hours passed quickly, and soon it was almost time for her to attend colloquium. She locked her office and made her way down to the seminar room on the first floor. She took notice of the flyer stuck on the small bulletin board outside the room, and rolled her eyes.

"Experimental Deformation of Forsterite and Fayalite."

Sam hoped they would keep the lights on in the room; otherwise, she was sure to nod off.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sam stifled a small yawn as she stood up and attempted to haul herself out of the seminar room. The lecture wasn't as boring as she thought it would be, but the speaker insisted that the lights be shut off and the shades drawn, and, true to form, she found herself nearly dozing off. Why did they have to have these colloquia so late in the afternoon anyway? Surely they'd realize that most of the faculty and graduate students had been here since early in the morning, and would find it difficult to stay awake, especially if the subject matter wasn't exactly up their alley. True, there was coffee (caffeine) and cookies (source of sugar) set out before the lecture, but sometimes the two stimulants weren't quite enough.

Sam had just left the room when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Quite interesting stuff, eh?"

She whirled around and saw Doctor John Kleagle, mineralogy professor, grinning at her. She gave him a weary look and shrugged slightly.

"Would have been more interesting if he talked about planetary shift," she smirked.

Kleagle shook his head. "Ah, you astrophysicists," he joked.

Sam looked at him blankly.

"One day you'll learn to appreciate the ins and outs of magma evolution, mineral separation and differentiation," he continued in his slight Australian accent.

"Well, it won't be anytime soon," she chuckled lightly. "The day I learn to appreciate that will be the day they actually get some astrophysicists to give talks in this department."

The man chuckled good-naturedly and patted her on the shoulder. "Have a good evening," he said before heading away from her and down the hallway.

Sam smiled and nodded. She cast an eye down at her shoulder, as if his patting it mystified her.

"Bye, Sam."

"Yeah, bye," Sam absent-mindedly returned to a female faculty member.

She looked down at her watch and realized it was ten minutes after 5. She snorted, remembering how the speaker had gone over the allotted hour, and some long-winded questions from her peers didn't help matters. After a somewhat early lunch, she was already hungry for dinner. She decided to head back up to her office, shut her computer down, and make her way home. Fortunately she had finished writing up the midterm exam. All that was left to do was make photocopies of it, which she could do the next morning.

After shutting down her computer, she was about to make her way out of the office and lock up when she noticed the flashing red light on her phone again. Sam's brow knitted in confusion. It couldn't be the message Daniel had left for her. She'd saved the message, but there was no reason for the light to still be blinking. She curiously picked up the receiver and pressed the voicemail button.

"You have … one new message … sent Thursday, April 10, 4:27 PM…"

Her brow knitted further as she wondered who would be calling her while she was at the colloquium.

"Ah, hi … Sam? It's me, Daniel. Jackson. I … oh, that's right, you said you were going to a meeting at 4," the all-too-familiar voice said sheepishly.

Sam couldn't help cracking a broad smile.

"Sorry about that … I forgot for a minute there. I just wanted to apologize if I was rude or short with you before, I was just going nuts grading those papers," he chuckled nervously.

Sam's smile remained. At that moment, any leftover disappointment she had from what happened before was dispelled. She realized what a sweet, thoughtful person he was.

"Anyway," the message continued. "I was wondering, if you're not too busy tomorrow, maybe I could drop by and we could get some lunch. Well, you're not here now, and I don't know if you'll get this message, so, ah … I'll call you again tomorrow morning. Have a good evening. Take care, bye."

Sam slowly replaced the receiver on the cradle and laughed softly. How sweet of him to call her and apologize like that, let alone offer lunch. She quickly looked down at her desk calendar and confirmed that she had no meetings or any other commitments around lunchtime the next day.

She gathered up her briefcase and purse, turned off the light, exited and locked the door behind her, humming happily the entire time.

* * *

Sam locked the door behind her and threw her purse on the couch. She'd had quite a long day and was utterly exhausted. She'd grabbed something quick for dinner at a nearby Tex-Mex place and headed straight home after that. It was good to be home. She had a small house in Colorado Springs, about ten minutes away from the university. It was a bit smaller than the last place she'd lived with her father and brother, but it was nice and cozy.

She entered her bedroom and kicked off her shoes. What she needed now was a nice, hot bath. She grabbed her nightgown and was about to make her way to the bathroom when she glanced into the small office, the blank computer monitor suddenly piquing her interest.

She realized she hadn't checked her personal email account in a few days. Normally, she would have had enough of staring at a computer screen for so many hours a day; but for some reason, she felt very tempted to check her email. She quickly turned the computer on, waited as it whirred up, and then opened up her email program.

Sam rolled her eyes at the three obvious spam emails she found as she scrolled down. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she arrived at the end of the list. There was an email, from an unfamiliar address, with "Hi there!" in the subject, and an attachment.

_Virus_, she immediately thought. She clicked on the subject and her brow furrowed deeper as she read the contents in the preview pane:

"Hello, how are you doing? I really liked your profile on It seems like we have a lot of things in common. You seem like the kind of person that I'd like to get to know. If you're interested, please send me an email back. I look forward to hearing from you.

Joe"

Sam looked at the screen incredulously. was the online dating service she'd subscribed to. Why was she getting emails from people on it? She'd cancelled her subscription to it several weeks ago, with the notion that she was never going to meet anyone this way. Under the man's email message was a rundown of his own profile. He lived in Pueblo, which wasn't too far from here. He was 37 years old, about two years older than Sam. He'd never been married, lived alone, and was looking for a serious relationship. In addition, he was a social butterfly, although one who was tired of the bar scene. Sam shrugged. He _seemed_ like a nice enough guy.

She scrolled down further to see a preview of the attachment. It was a photo of the man. He was of about average height, seemed big-boned (though he'd described himself as athletic), had short, brown hair and a bit of a tan, as well as a thousand-watt smile.

Sam's fingers seemed to take on a mind of their own as she hit the "reply" button and typed fervently:

"Hi, thanks for taking the time to email. I read your profile and you seem like a nice guy. I would like to know more about you. What do you do for a living? What exactly are you looking for in a relationship? Hope to hear from you soon.

Sam"

After she hit "send", she took one last look at the email, still puzzled. She had cancelled the service, and had a printout of the email to prove it. She found the printout and checked it. Yes, they stated that when her subscription was cancelled, her profile would be removed. How, then, was this man able to find her profile? She shook her head, frustrated.

She looked back at the picture of Joe. _He's not too bad-looking_, she thought.

_But he isn't as good-looking as Daniel._

Whoa. Daniel? Suddenly, Sam felt a sharp pang of guilt inside her. Thoughts of the sweet, kind professor of archaeology, who she'd only seen twice, penetrated her mind and left her blushing madly.

"No, this is ridiculous," she muttered aloud. "Why should I feel guilty? I just emailed this guy. It's not like I'm entering into a serious relationship with him. We'll probably just end up as pen pals."

Still, the thought of someone who seemed decent contacting her made her feel warm inside. After three months and several prospective boyfriends ending in disaster, maybe her luck was finally changing.

Thoughts of Daniel gently tapped her on the back, and brought themselves to the forefront once again. The conflicting emotions were beginning to get to her. The fact that someone contacted her stirred up a bit of excitement, but it was quashed when she thought of the sweet man who she'd just met. She didn't need a dating service to get acquainted with Daniel. The simple act of emailing the other man made it feel like she was going behind his back.

She berated herself again for thinking so foolishly. It wasn't as if she and Daniel were seriously committed to each other. Hell, they weren't even dating. They were just friends who'd recently met. She really had no need to be so worried about emailing this Joe. Even though he said he was looking for a serious relationship, Sam wouldn't necessarily be the one he was looking to be with. Maybe he wouldn't even email her back.

Sam laughed softly as she realized how ridiculous she was acting. She closed out her email program, shut down the computer, and prepared for that hot bath she sorely needed.

* * *

Sam had just entered her office and put her briefcase down when the phone rang.

"Samantha Carter," she intoned.

The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment.

"Ah … hi, I'm not calling too early, am I?"

Sam smiled faintly as she recognized the voice.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah …"

"No, you're not calling too early. Great timing, actually – I just found out I have a staff meeting in twenty-five minutes."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad I caught you, then," he said, chuckling nervously.

Sam grinned widely. His unassuming manner was endearing to her.

"Do you still want to meet for lunch?"

"Sure, I'd love to," she replied. "What time would be good for you?"

"Ah ..." he hesitated as he appeared to be checking his schedule. "Would 1:00 be okay?"

Sam's brow creased slightly as she looked over at the weekly schedule she had printed out and stuck up on a small corkboard.

"Yeah, I usually eat lunch around that time, and my lab course isn't until 3."

"Great!" he said happily.

Sam laughed affectionately. "Where would you like to meet?"

"Food court?" he asked hopefully. "I just figured that would be best since it's close to you."

"Sounds good," she shrugged. "Are you sure, though? It's quite a distance from you."

"Oh, no, no, I don't mind walking over there," he insisted.

"Oh. Okay," she relented. "See you at 1."

"It's a date," he said genially before hanging up.

Sam stood perfectly still for a few moments.

_It's a date._

_

* * *

_

The food court was bustling with students and faculty of all disciplines, as it usually was around this busy hour. It was located inside the new student union that was situated across from the Earth and Space Sciences building. It wasn't incredibly fancy, but the food wasn't too bad. It consisted of the usual fare – usual for a university food court, anyway … pizza, a salad bar, stir-fry, and a deli that featured sandwiches that, in past years, had been hardly edible. The university had managed to increase their budget in this area, however, and the food service was greatly improved.

Sam sat at a table for two, up against a window overlooking the academic mall. She checked her watch and discovered that Daniel was almost ten minutes late. She shrugged, thinking that maybe he got caught up in grading papers again. Maybe he'd stayed up late again, ended up looking as disheveled as he did when she barged in on him the other day, and he was spending all this time shaving, getting his shirt ironed and whatever else to make himself look somewhat presentable. She snickered to herself.

Her laughter faded and she coughed nervously as she noticed someone familiar approaching her table. As he got closer, she was able to confirm his identity. He was dressed smartly in a long sleeved, rust-colored, button down shirt and khakis. He was clean-shaven and bespectacled, and his long hair was combed neatly, forming a sort of halo around the chiseled features of his face. It was Daniel, looking like his old self again.

"Hi," he greeted, smiling shyly at her.

"Hey," she returned.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, one of the graduate students insisted on seeing me about some important matter," he said apologetically.

"It's okay," she shook her head. "I knew you'd show up."

He gave her a quick smile, and then turned to look at the food court behind him.

"So, should we go and get something to eat?" he asked her.

Sam smiled and nodded.

Daniel left his jacket on the back of his chair, and he and Sam made their way to where the food was located. He seemed to take an interest in the stir-fry, and Sam wrinkled her nose when he wasn't looking. She left him and made her way to the deli. After agonizing over her choices for several minutes, she finally decided on the blackened chicken salad. She got a bottle of iced tea to go with it, and then met up with him before the checkout line. She smiled slightly when she realized he hadn't gotten anything more exotic than lo mein.

"Blackened chicken, huh?" he asked, reading the label on the top of the salad container. "Is it any good?"

San shrugged. "I don't know. I've never had it before."

Daniel insisted on treating, despite Sam's initial protest. She gave up when she realized how intent he was on paying, though, and it made her realize even more what a sweet guy he was. They made their way back to the table, glad to know that it hadn't been taken in their absence, and that Daniel's jacket was where it should be.

They sat down and tucked into their meals, during which there was an awkward silence. Finally, Daniel held up his hand.

"Ah … I really have to tell you," he began, just before swallowing a mouthful of lo mein. "I'm sorry that I was short with you when you came by yesterday. I was … I was just going through a lot of stress, with those papers and all."

She looked at him solemnly. "You don't need to apologize," she said gently. "I know what stress feels like. I was almost going nuts myself devising that midterm exam –"

"But, despite that, you came all the way over to SBS to drop by and see me," he interrupted earnestly. "I shouldn't have been so rude."

"Please, you weren't rude," she said softly. "I understood completely. I mean, I felt a bit bad that I couldn't talk to you longer, but you had a responsibility to finish grading those papers. If anything, I feel bad for having bothered you like that."

Daniel leaned forward slightly. "You didn't bother me," he said.

She looked like she was about to protest as she started to open her mouth. Daniel held up his hands to stop her. "Sam, you didn't bother me. To be honest, I should have taken a little break. It's not the first time I've almost worked myself to death. I appreciate the fact that you were so concerned about me."

Sam could feel the faint blush creeping up in her cheeks. "Okay, I won't apologize for bothering you if you won't apologize for being late."

"So, I guess we're even now?" he asked hopefully, raising his eyebrows.

A grin spread across Sam's face and she laughed amusedly.

"Yeah, I'd say so," she replied.

Daniel chuckled affectionately.

Once Sam had calmed down, she looked at him intently.

"It's funny, we've known each other for barely a few days, and … I can't believe how comfortable I am with you. It's as if we've known each other a lot longer … you know what I mean?" she said thoughtfully.

Daniel studied her face for a few moments before answering.

"I feel that way, too," he agreed, nodding. "I guess we just seem to have a lot in common," he surmised.

Sam smiled at him before going back to her salad. He returned the smile and it made her feel warm inside.

The two ate in silence for most of the meal. It became a bit awkward once again, and Daniel finally decided he'd ask the question he'd been meaning to ask her ever since the day he met her.

"Ah … Sam … I hope you don't mind this, but …"

She looked up from her salad.

"… are you … seeing anyone?"

She nearly choked on the piece of chicken she'd just begun chewing on.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam managed to swallow her chicken, and then began coughing. The question Daniel had just asked her had taken her completely by surprise.

Daniel shot her a concerned look.

"Whoa, are you okay?" he asked.

Sam nodded quickly and reached for her bottle of iced tea. She gulped the cool liquid down, and in a short time her coughing subsided.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she finally replied, panting.

Daniel gazed at her with apologetic eyes as she managed to calm down.

"Okay?" he asked.

Sam nodded and gave him a slight smile.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have been so blunt. That was way too forward," he conceded.

"No, it's okay," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm comfortable being perfectly candid with you, as long as you are with me."

Daniel seemed to mull it over for a moment, and then he nodded.

"Okay," he said quietly.

"To tell you the truth …" she said tentatively. She hesitated, not sure whether she should mention the man who had just emailed her. Would it really make any difference if she had? Surely Daniel himself must have been seeing some lucky woman, especially with his attractive mind and looks. Sam started blushing upon that last thought.

Daniel looked at her expectantly.

"… No. Not really," she finally finished.

Daniel's eyebrows drew together as he gave her a bewildered look.

"I … I haven't been very lucky in love," she admitted, sighing heavily.

"Look, if this is too much for you to talk about, you don't have to. I'm sorry I even mentioned it," he said regrettably.

"No, really, it's fine," she insisted. "I've always been on the quiet side, and very bookish all through high school and college. I didn't always have much of an opportunity to socialize. I mean, I had my own little circle of friends, but beyond that …" she trailed off.

Daniel nodded silently.

"I did date a guy after I graduated high school. He was nice, but he just wasn't on my level. To be quite frank, he was boring. He spent most of our dates telling me how he wanted to study the efficacy of shoe horns," she smirked.

Daniel gave her a sad smile and chuckled softly.

"When I was in college, my friend Sara kept bugging me, always wanting to fix me up with someone. She actually moved here and attended CSU Pueblo. She met a guy, who, from what I hear, is her dream man. They got married about ten years ago. Despite the fact that we lived thousands of miles apart, she seemed to be so concerned about my love life … she still does, to this day, actually."

Daniel looked at her curiously.

"She and her husband … um … Jack I think his name is … live not far from here. She calls me every so often and it's usually the same thing: 'so, did you find a guy yet? You have to snatch one!'" She ended her impersonation of Sara with a nervous little laugh.

Daniel grinned amusedly. "Well, it's nice that she cares about you that much," he conceded.

"I think it's nearing the realm of 'too much,' if you ask me," Sam smirked.

Daniel shrugged slightly and grinned at her again after taking another sip of his coffee. It made Sam snicker.

"Anyway, I …" she hesitated and her cheeks flushed. "This is kind of embarrassing."

"What?" he asked softly.

"I … signed up for one of those online dating services," she muttered as she put her head down.

Daniel looked at her curiously and waited for her to raise her head. She did, tentatively, and was surprised to see him shrug nonchalantly.

"So?" he asked.

"You don't think that's stooping low, or anything?" she asked.

"No, of course not," he said frankly. "There are lots of people who are so busy at work, that they don't have time to socialize much and actively pursue relationships. It's nothing to be ashamed about."

Sam seemed to relax visibly. "Thanks," she said, barely audible.

Daniel nodded. "Actually, I'm curious as to how those things work. I mean, I've heard quite a few success stories about them."

Sam looked at him seriously. "Did you ever think of trying it out?"

"Ah … no, not really. I've never given it very much thought," he replied, averting his eyes.

Sam nodded.

"But, for the sake of discussion …" he continued, looking back up at her. "… How is it?"

Sam looked at him, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Ah, I mean … have you had any luck with it?"

Sam couldn't tell from his tone whether he wanted to try it himself and was too embarrassed to let her know; whether he actually liked her more than he let on and was trying to mask the smallest trace of jealousy; or whether he was just being curious.

"Well, to be honest, I un-subscribed from it a few weeks ago," she replied, her tone emotionless.

The corners of Daniel's mouth drew up. "No good, huh?"

Sam shrugged. "It wasn't a _terrible_ experience. I had to fill out a profile – physical appearance, occupation, interests, living situation, and etcetera – and then describe myself and who I was looking for in my own words. Then I had to include a photo."

Daniel nodded.

"I … I don't know. It was …" she shook her head, a bit unsure of to how to continue. "I did meet a few nice guys, but none of them were really a great match. One guy was just too bold. He pressured me into very personal conversation – so personal that it made me very uncomfortable."

"He didn't do anything … bad … to you, did he?" Daniel asked urgently, fear rising in his voice.

Sam's eyes widened a bit. Her new friend really seemed to be quite concerned for her well-being. For a split second, it made her wonder about how he felt about her. She then decided it was silly. He was a nice guy and it was probably in his nature to react this way. He'd probably react the same way if his brother or sister – if he had any – had been in a similar situation.

"No, no," she insisted, shaking her head. "We just talked on the phone. He wanted to meet me … for a date … but I had made up my mind that I wouldn't want to go out with a guy like that. I called him the next day and confessed that he'd made me uncomfortable with all the personal, intimate talk. I guess I hurt his ego, because he became insulting."

Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"He acted all surprised, like he thought someone my age would have been very … well … active," she emphasized the last word, and made quotation mark gestures with her fingers.

Daniel looked at her seriously.

"You're kidding," he said quietly.

"No," she said bitterly. "He then started calling me horrible names and actually ended up shouting before I hung up on him."

Daniel wrinkled his nose. "He sounds like he's cracked."

Suddenly, Daniel's reaction and comment made her crack a wide smile and she snorted. Daniel looked at her incredulously.

"Sorry, it's not that I find it funny … you're absolutely right. He was nothing but a pervert, and I wouldn't doubt that many other women have turned him down before me."

"Well, it certainly sounds like it," Daniel said, before taking another sip of coffee.

Sam nodded before continuing. "A few weeks after that, another guy began corresponding with me. He was nice, but he wasn't crazy over my occupation."

"Your occupation?" Daniel asked curiously, brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Yeah, I think he wanted a housewife – someone who'd stay at home all day while he worked, and would take care of his nine cats," she said dryly.

"Nine cats?" Daniel repeated incredulously. "Oh God, I feel a sneeze coming on already."

Sam's dark mood lightened briefly and she began to laugh softly.

"You're allergic?" she asked between chuckles.

"Oh, yeah … big time," he replied, his voice full of dread.

Sam grinned. "I'm more of a dog person myself."

A small smile graced Daniel's lips. "I don't think I'm allergic to those."

Sam smiled back at him for a few moments, and then it faded and she became more serious.

"What about you?" she asked.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Have you been … um …" Sam started talking into her chest, and suddenly became very interested in the embroidery along the round neck of her shirt. "… Seeing anyone?" she blurted out awkwardly.

"Ah …" Daniel sighed. "No."

"No?" she asked, millions of questions in her eyes.

Daniel shook his head. "I guess you could say that my love life was always lacking somewhat," he said ruefully.

Sam looked at him intently.

"Like you, I was always very bookish in school. Actually, my parents pushed me a lot, and I did so well that I skipped ahead a couple of grades."

Sam raised her eyebrows quickly. "Wow," she said thoughtfully.

Daniel shrugged. "It wasn't really a big deal. It had its ups and downs. On the up side, I wasn't as bored as I had been and had more challenging, worthwhile schoolwork. On the down side, all my peers were a few years older than me. Being the studious kid that I was, it made me a target for ruthless bullying and teasing."

Sam gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Daniel shrugged again, like it was something he'd come to terms with long ago. "Sometimes, being a fountain of knowledge comes attached with a small price tag," he grinned slightly, in spite of himself.

"I sympathize," she said. "I had my share of teasing, especially in grammar school. I was 'Brainiac Carter.' 'Hey, Brainiac Carter! Come over here and build us a rocket, so we can ship you out to the moon!' they'd say." She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

Daniel smiled. Whether it was an affectionate smile, or it was slightly teasing, she couldn't tell.

"'Brainiac Carter'?" he said incredulously. "That's the best they could do?" He chuckled amusedly.

Sam shrugged and smiled at him.

"You don't even want to _know_ what they called me," he said in a mock challenging tone, half smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I won't even bother asking," she assured him.

Daniel smiled briefly before continuing.

"The experience of skipping ahead in school actually made me feel a bit lonely at times. Sure, I kept myself occupied with my books, but there were times when I desired companionship. I was in the Science Club, so I had friends there, but it was hard relating to girls. Can you imagine how hard it is for a twelve year old boy to talk to a sixteen year old girl?"

"Uh … no," Sam said awkwardly.

"… Especially a sixteen year old girl that he has a crush on?" Daniel elaborated, blushing faintly.

"Oh," Sam said quietly.

"Her name was Melanie Cross, and she was one of the most beautiful girls at my high school. Not only was she pretty, but she was very smart. She was also in the Science Club, so I was around her quite a lot. Being so much younger, I was a bit shy and didn't talk very much, but whenever Melanie walked past, I ended up staring at her like a … well … like a lovesick teenage boy. I never told anyone, but one of my friends suspected I had a crush on her and dug it out of me. He actually told her, and I was mortified. I found out that she'd been dating the captain of the football team, so that was the end of that. I was literally crushed. Actually, I couldn't blame her. I mean, when you're sixteen years old and that beautiful, why would you want to be seen with a young, lanky, twelve year old with large eyeglasses and a mop of brown hair?" he said, self-effacingly.

Sam looked at Daniel sadly as she tried to picture him as a young boy.

"Then, when I attended college in Chicago, I had a brief relationship with a fellow anthropology student. Actually, she was a student in a class for which I was a TA. She was bright and charming, but I knew it wouldn't work out between us."

"Why?" Sam asked in a small voice.

"I ... I don't know. Actually, for a while, I thought we really had something special between us. She was sweet and unassuming, and we really seemed to understand each other well. I was actually planning on popping the question on our last date, when she suddenly announced that she was going to UCLA to work on her Doctorate."

Sam bit her lip worriedly.

"She then seemed like a whole different person. She didn't seem to care about what we had. It was like she was putting her career and her work before our relationship. She actually accused me of the same thing, which was totally ridiculous. It became clear to me that she no longer wanted me to be a part of her life. Whatever the reason was, it never became apparent to me. Later I was talking with one of her friends, and I found out that she had always been afraid of commitment. So …" Daniel sighed heavily.

"Gosh, I'm sorry about that," Sam said sadly.

Daniel forced a smile. "I guess some things just aren't meant to be, no matter much we think we're convinced otherwise," he said dismissively.

Sam swallowed hard and nodded as she looked down at the tabletop. Suddenly her eyes flew back up to Daniel as she thought of something she desperately wanted to tell him.

"I … uh …" she hesitated.

Daniel set his coffee cup down and looked at her curiously.

"A guy … from that online dating service … has started emailing me," she said awkwardly.

"I thought you said you had cancelled that thing," he said slowly with a bit of suspicion in his voice.

_Oh boy, was this a mistake? _She questioned herself. Reluctantly, she decided to forge ahead.

"Yeah, I did, three weeks ago. They said that when I un-subscribed, my profile would be deleted.

"That's strange," Daniel mused as he brought the coffee cup back up to his lips and took another sip. "Maybe he's a fraud?"

Lines of frustration appeared on Sam's face and she shook her head. "I … don't think so. He mentioned the name of the dating service. He said that I sound like the kind of person he'd like to get to know. He said he it seems like we have a lot in common."

"Do you think that?" Daniel asked, placing the cup down again. Sam could have sworn she could almost pick up a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"To be honest with you, I really don't know," she replied. "All I gathered from the profile he sent me, was that he's looking for a serious relationship, and that he's tired of the bar scene."

"And does that sound like you?" Daniel asked frankly as his eyes pierced hers.

Sam's brow knitted and she averted her eyes. "Uh …" she hesitated before looking back up at him. "… Kind of."

Daniel raised his eyebrows at her as a signal for her to elaborate.

"Well, I mean … I eventually want to have a serious relationship. I don't want to deal with someone who just wants to play games, but I don't want to rush into anything either, if you know what I mean."

Daniel's lips edged upward into a faint smile and he nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Sam smiled briefly at him. "I'm not into the bar scene, either," she continued.

Daniel's smile broadened. The way he looked at her made it seem almost as if he was taking notes. Sam chuckled inwardly at the thought and dismissed it.

"So, what else is there about him? What does he do for a living?" Daniel asked.

"Um … he's a regional manager for … a software company, I think," she said, struggling to remember the details of the man's profile.

Daniel shrugged. "Interesting."

Sam nodded. "He said he wants to be a firefighter, though. He said something about wanting to join a ladder company in Denver." She shrugged. "Oh, uh … he sent me a picture of himself, too."

"And?" Daniel prompted her.

"Eh, he's … pretty good-looking," she said awkwardly.

_Not as good-looking as you_, she added. Even though she didn't say it out loud, the mere thought made her feel as if it had suddenly gotten very warm in there.

"I don't know, looks really aren't much to me," she quickly blurted out. _They sure do help, though._

Daniel looked at her blankly.

"Anyway, I just told him that I'd like to know more about him. That's all. I was almost shocked to receive this email. You don't expect something like this after three months of virtually nothing. After that, and the negative experiences I've had, I'm not expecting anything to come out of this. The thought of someone actually being interested in me after all this time sometimes makes me wonder if my luck is turning around … but, I'm not getting my hopes up. We probably won't be more than pen pals."

"Hey, you never know," Daniel replied.

Sam sighed heavily and looked up at him, a small smile on her lips. "I wish I could see it that way. Thanks, Daniel."

"For what?" he asked, a slightly bewildered look on his face.

"For letting me get all of this off my chest, for listening to me, and for just being a good person. We've known each other for such a short time, but I feel like we've been friends almost forever. Thank you."

Daniel smiled tenderly at her and reached out across the table to caress her hand.

"Anytime. Anytime you need a friend to talk to, I'll be more than happy to listen. And, thanks for listening to me. I don't usually share details of my exciting childhood and non-existent love life with just anyone," he finished facetiously.

Sam chuckled softly. "Anytime," she returned.

Daniel smiled at her before glancing at his watch. "Ah … it's almost a quarter after 2. Do you have to be somewhere?"

"Oh, uh … yeah, I have the advanced astrophysics lab at 3. I have to go and set up the equipment," she said, flustered.

Daniel nodded. With that, they got up, walked away from the table and deposited their trash. They made their way out the door and walked to the front atrium of the union. It was a beautiful area, with large windows overlooking the Earth and Space Sciences building and its grounds. The wall on the opposite side was made of marble, and a large waterfall cascaded down into a small, decorative pool below.

Sam turned to Daniel and smiled. "I guess I better get going," she said as she gestured toward the building in front of them.

Daniel smiled back and looked into her eyes. "Good luck with that guy," he said frankly.

Sam looked at him, slightly bewildered. Was this it? Was he saying that he no longer wanted to be friends with her? A small, irrational uneasiness grew deep inside her.

"Just remember to be careful," he continued. "I've heard a few stories about people meeting over the internet, and they didn't end well at all."

Lines of worry etched across Sam's forehead.

"If you want to talk, just call me anytime. Actually …" he paused as he dug a piece of paper out of his pants pocket and began scribbling on it. "… Here's my home phone number, in case you feel like talking after hours."

Sam stared at him, momentarily surprised.

"Ah … I mean, outside of work," he corrected himself as he blushed.

She extinguished the small flame of apprehension that threatened to consume her and breathed a little sigh of relief. So, he didn't want to give up on her. She allowed a smile to form on her lips.

He gave her the piece of paper and she thanked him. In turn, she grabbed another post-it note from her purse and wrote her home phone number down for him.

"Thanks," he smiled.

"I'm usually home in the evenings, and most weekends," she added.

"Likewise," Daniel replied.

"Okay, um … I guess I'll see you later," she said awkwardly, not wanting to be free of his company yet.

"Sure," Daniel nodded, still smiling. He held back as she made her way to the doors.

"I'll, uh … I'll call you on Monday," she said.

"Okay," he nodded.

She gave him one last smile and exited the union.

* * *

Sam sighed as she entered her office. It was just after 5 PM, her aforementioned lab being two hours long. The class had actually gone well for a change. None of her students seemed intent on fooling around, and most of them had done the experiment with hardly any problems. She was embarrassed to recount that she seemed more jovial than usual, and some students had picked up on it – one in particular noting sarcastically that she was in a "light, airy mood."

Sam shook her head amusedly and snickered to herself. She was aware that she had been in a better mood than usual, not letting things get to her and even cracking a few jokes during the lab period. She wondered if Daniel had something to do with it. She had gotten a lot of things off her chest in talking to him, and it made her feel very good. She couldn't remember the last person whose company made her feel that way. Sara? Well, maybe, but the fact was that, as much as she and Sam were very good friends, Sara could be a bit antagonistic. It wasn't often that she'd let Sam get through a whole sentence without interrupting her.

No, Daniel was different. He would sit there and let her talk, adding his thoughts along the way whenever it was appropriate. He was a very sweet man, and certainly much different from any of the men she'd met before. The way he seemed to be so concerned about her made her wonder if he was the one – the one she was looking for that would complete her. She shook her head and chuckled inwardly, thinking how ridiculous it sounded. They'd only been friends for just over a week. She hadn't known him very long at all, yet she seemed to know quite a bit about him. They'd shared quite a bit of information about their personal lives, and it was almost akin to sharing your deepest, darkest secrets with your best friend.

Sam sighed and was about to shut down her computer when she heard the sound effect for new email. She maximized her email program and checked out the list of emails she had. The new one was a department-wide email sent by Doctor McClellan, notifying everyone of the deadline for submissions to the May newsletter. Sam grinned and rolled her eyes.

She was about to close out the program when she decided to check her personal email account as well. She opened it up and cycled through the new email messages:

"Hi Sam, how are you doing? It sounds like we are both looking for the same thing in a relationship. As I said in my profile, I'm the regional manager for SunSystems software. It's an OK job, but I really want to be a firefighter. I know a lot of people aren't too crazy about that since there's always a chance of getting hurt, or killed, or whatever, but I'm not worried. It's something I really want to do. I'm hoping I can join a ladder company in Denver.

I suppose this is very forward after only two emails I've sent you, but I was wondering if we could talk on the phone? I think it's a better way to communicate than email. My phone number is 555-1132 if you want to call me, or if you'd rather I call you, you can give me your number. Okay, I have to run and get ready for work. Hope to hear back from you. Take care.

Joe"

Sam stared at the computer monitor and exhaled slowly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sam settled into her home office, kicked off her shoes and booted up her computer. Checking her email once again, she realized she had no new messages, and the new email from Joe was the last in the list, staring back at her. Sam felt her face grow hot as she read the message a few times over. She then opened up the first email he had sent her and looked at his picture once again. Did she really want to meet this guy and get to know him? On one hand, she wanted to jump at the chance, as she'd been alone for so long and was fearful that she might not be offered any more chances. On the other hand, her negative experiences thus far made her cautious.

For the time being, she pushed aside thoughts of Daniel. For some reason, she couldn't admit to herself that what she was looking for might be right under her nose. She did think of Daniel as a good, albeit new, friend, but she didn't know if she could ever be in a relationship with him. It was very similar to the "can't-date-your-best-friend" mentality that was shared by some of her friends from school.

She stared at the computer monitor as she agonized over her indecision regarding Joe, and watched as the clock in the lower right hand corner gradually changed from 7:15 to 7:30 PM. She sighed, frustrated, as she kept going back to Joe's latest email. Finally, she picked up the phone and dialed the number of the person she thought could help her the most …

"Yeah," a somewhat deep male voice, with a slight twang, answered.

"Um … hi, is Sara there? This is her friend, Sam Carter," Sam uttered nervously.

"Ya, sure, ya betcha," the man answered in a lighthearted way, with a bit of a northern Midwestern accent.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion, upon realizing that this must be Sara's husband. _Interesting guy_, she thought.

Before Sara picked up the phone, Sam heard some commotion going on, followed by Sara laughing, "Cut it out, Jack!"

_Yup, he's interesting, all right._

"Hi, Sam?" Sara answered the phone, still laughing a bit.

"Hi, Sara. I didn't call at a bad time or anything, did I?" Sam asked half-jokingly.

"Oh, no," Sara laughed. "My husband's just being a general pain in the ass this evening."

"Ah," Sam nodded.

"So, what's up?" Sara continued.

"Uh …" Sam began tentatively. "I've got a little dilemma here, and I need some advice."

"Okay …" Sara replied.

"You know that I had subscribed to a dating service a while back, right?"

"Yeah," Sara held the word out, "But you cancelled, right?"

"Yeah. But, the strangest thing happened. The other night, I got an email from a guy who saw my profile and said he'd like to get to know me."

"Really," Sara said suspiciously after a beat. "How is that possible? I thought they're supposed to remove your profile after you cancel your subscription, from what you've told me."

"Yeah, they are, so I have no idea how he saw my profile," Sam said, frustration in her voice.

"Unless …"

"What?" Sam asked.

"Could it be possible that they just left your profile up there, even after you un-subscribed?"

Sam frowned. "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know … hey, maybe he saw your profile up there a while ago, before you un-subscribed and only thought about contacting you now?" Sara tried.

"I don't know, Sara. It's been almost a month since I cancelled. Why would this guy wait that long before contacting me?"

"I really don't know, Sam. Guys are hard to figure out, you know that," she said jokingly.

Sam snickered softly.

"So, come on, tell me about him," Sara prodded.

"Um … well," she began as she opened up the first email. "His name is Joe and he's 37. He lives in Pueblo –"

"That's not too far," Sara interrupted.

"Yeah, I know," Sam said briskly, seeming slightly annoyed at the interruption. "He works for a software company, and he wants to be a firefighter in Denver."

"Hmm, wow," Sara said, seemingly impressed. "Is that it?"

"Pretty much," Sam replied.

"Does he have a picture?" Sara asked excitedly.

"Yeah …"

"And …?"

"He's not too bad-looking," Sam replied after a beat. "He's about average height, kind of big boned, although he describes himself as athletic. He has short, brown hair, a prominent nose, and, um … nice teeth," she finished half-heartedly.

Her description made Sara laugh.

"What?" Sam grinned.

"You don't sound too enthusiastic," she answered. "'Nice teeth'?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah! He's got a thousand watt smile in this picture, but the way he's smiling, it's like …" she trailed off.

"Like what?"

"Like he thinks he's God's gift to women," Sam smirked.

"Oh, come on, you're being picky!" Sara exclaimed, still laughing.

Sam shrugged. "Can't help it," she said simply.

"Can't help it? Did you stop to think that maybe that's the reason you haven't had many relationships?"

"Stop it, Sara," Sam said quietly.

Sara calmed down abruptly. "I'm sorry, Sam, I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, okay," she replied reluctantly.

"So, tell me more about this guy."

"Well, he says he's never been married and he's looking for a serious relationship. He said that it seems like we have things in common. What those things are, I'm not sure … probably the fact that we're both looking to settle down. He said I sound like the type of girl he'd like to get to know."

"Did you email him back?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, but I kept it short and sweet. I told him that he seemed like a nice guy, and that I'd like to know more about him. That's about all I said."

"Did you hear anything back yet?"

"Uh … yeah," Sam sighed. "He told me that it looks like we're both looking for the same thing in a relationship."

"Okay …" Sara began.

"Get this, Sara. He gave me his phone number and asked if I'd like to chat on the phone with him. He said he apologizes if this is too forward, but he'd rather talk than email."

"Wow!" Sara exclaimed.

"He said that, if I wanted him to call me instead, I could give him my number," Sam continued.

"Huh. So, what do you think you're going to do? Have you replied to him yet?" Sara asked.

"No, that's why I need some advice. I'm not sure if I should do this, and the whole thing seems so fishy. He emails me nearly a month after I un-subscribed from the service, seems really interested in me, and after two emails, wants to talk on the phone. Don't you think it's … rushing a bit?" Sam finished uneasily.

"I don't think so," Sara answered thoughtfully. "Some people just prefer talking on the phone to email."

Sam thought for a beat. "I guess so, but still …"

"What? Is something up?" Sara asked curiously.

Before Sam could answer, the familiar call-waiting tone invaded their conversation.

"Oh, hold on a minute, Sara," Sam said briskly. She thanked her lucky stars. The interruption couldn't have come at a better time.

"Hello?"

"Ah, hi … Sam?" a familiar man's voice asked.

Sam blushed madly.

"D-Daniel?" she said softly, her voice a touch incredulous.

"Yeah, hi," he said. "I didn't call at a bad time, did I? I mean, you said you were home evenings and weekends –"

"Uh … no, no, you didn't," Sam replied, sounding aloof. "I was just on another call."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll be quick, then … or I'll call you tomorrow instead if that's okay."

Sam's chest heaved as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She began to feel somewhat ashamed. If she had a choice, deep down she'd rather talk to him than to Sara. The fact that the conversation involved the situation with Joe made it an impossibility to speak to him. She had talked to him about it once already. It was probably her imagination, but she thought there was a hint of jealousy in his voice, and she decided then and there not to discuss it further with him. A tiny voice inside of her admonished her for thinking this way, for wanting to go behind Daniel's back. She shouldn't have anything to hide from him, as he didn't seem to have anything to hide from her.

She realized what a good friend he was, and how important his friendship was to her.

"Sam?"

"No, it's okay, I'll call you right back in ten or fifteen minutes."

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, if that's okay with you. I'd really like to talk to you, Daniel," she said.

"Okay, I'll, ah … I'll talk to you later," he agreed.

"Thanks. Bye," she finished before pushing her "flash" button to resume the call with Sara.

"Sorry about that, it was my mom," she said without thinking.

"Your mom?" Sara said incredulously. "Sam, your mom has been dead for 25 years!"

"Oh, uh …yeah," Sam said, flustered. "Okay, it was my dad."

"Your dad …" Sara replied, her tone indicating that she didn't quite believe Sam.

"Yes, it was, okay, Sara? Please!" she suddenly exploded desperately.

"Whoa, Sam, take it easy!"

Sam held her hand to her forehead and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."

"Sam, what's wrong?"

"I …" she hesitated. "Okay, I was talking to another guy," she said flatly.

"…"

"He's a guy I met at the university. He's a professor in the Anthropological Sciences department."

"Really …" Sara said.

"Yeah, I've known him for just over a week, now."

"And how did you meet him?"

"He just … sort of bumped into me," Sam smirked faintly as she remembered the incident that led to their meeting.

"Okay, Sam, if you don't want to tell me how you _really_ met, I guess I'll have to drag it out of you," Sara said mischievously.

"I'm serious, Sara!" Sam exclaimed amid laughter. "That's how we met."

"Come on, Sam, you don't just bump into people!"

"Well, he did," Sam insisted.

"Tsk. So, what is he like?"

"He's … um … very nice. He's a very interesting person, and I feel very comfortable with him. We've talked on the phone a few times, and I met him for lunch today."

"Well, it seems like you have a good thing going with him," Sara said thoughtfully.

"And that's my problem," Sam pressed. "That's why I'm not sure what to do about this Joe."

"Are you and …?"

"Daniel."

"Are you and Daniel dating, or seriously involved?"

"After only a week? Come on, Sara!" Sam scoffed.

"Hey, you never know," she replied defensively. "So, you're not deeply committed to each other yet, right?"

Sam's answer was definite. "No."

"So, there's no problem. You can date two guys at the same time, Sam."

Sam's face contorted in confusion. "You're kidding."

"Oh, geez, you really are out of practice," Sara teased. "No, I'm not kidding. As long as nothing's serious between any of you, it's perfectly fine. Just make sure you don't set a date with both on the same night."

"Ha ha," Sam deadpanned. "Okay, so you think I should talk to Joe on the phone?"

"Sure, there's no harm in it. He sounds like a nice person. It can't hurt."

Sam thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. And, who knows, maybe I won't even like him. Maybe it won't work out at all between us."

"Maybe it will," Sara challenged.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Maybe it will?"

"Maybe it will work out between you and Joe, or maybe it will work out between you and Daniel," Sara backpedaled.

Sam mulled it over and smiled faintly.

"Yeah. All right, I better get going. I told Daniel I'd call him back in 10 or 15 minutes, and it's just gone over that."

"Okay, take it easy Sam, and good luck."

"Thanks. Have a good night, Sara."

"Bye, Sam."

Sam hung up the phone and sighed. She thought about the advice Sara had given her as she looked back at Joe's second email. She felt stupid when she thought about how naïve she must have sounded when she balked at the idea of dating two men at once. She finally conceded that Sara was right, but, for some reason, a little part of her still felt that dating Joe or even talking to him on the phone would make it seem like she was cheating on Daniel.

_Cheating on Daniel? Do you know how ridiculous you sound? He's just a friend, Sam. You're not both solely committed to each other. There's no need to feel guilty._

Sam shut her conscience up as she searched her purse for the note Daniel had given her with his phone number on it. Once she found it, she picked up the phone once more and dialed his number. She took in a few, short, nervous breaths as she waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard his voice. "Daniel? It's Sam."

"Oh, ah … hi, Sam," he greeted.

"Hi. Sorry about that, I just had to finish this conversation."

"Yeah," Daniel replied, holding out the word and sounding a bit suspicious. "So, what's going on?"

"Uh … not much," she said nonchalantly. "I was talking to my old girlfriend, Sara; you know, the one I told you about who likes to interfere with my love life, such as it is?"

"Oh, right," he replied, chuckling softly. "I guess you told her about that guy?"

Sam's brow creased ever so slightly. "Um … y-yeah. I really don't want to talk too much about that."

Daniel paused, and she wondered if he was suspicious at all. Maybe that was the wrong choice of words.

"What, did she bother you about it?" he asked curiously.

"Of course," she said facetiously. "She practically gave me the third degree, asked all about him, gave me opinions on him, and finally told me I should call him."

"Whoa – you should call him?" Daniel broke in, a touch incredulous.

"Uh …" Sam felt as if her face was on fire. "Yeah, um … he gave me his phone number in his latest email."

"Oh," Daniel said after a beat.

Sam suddenly felt quite ashamed for leaking this little piece of information, when she reminded herself that she shouldn't have anything to hide from him.

"Well, I … ah … I guess I'll let you go, then," he said slowly.

"No," she said suddenly. "It's okay; I'm not going to call him right away."

"Oh?" he asked curiously.

"I haven't really made up my mind yet," she confessed. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something, Daniel."

"… Go ahead."

"When we met for lunch this afternoon, you told me you had a relationship with a girl in your class at college?"

"Oh, yeah, at the University of Chicago," he said, familiarity in his voice.

"You mentioned that she was in a class you were TA-ing, right?"

"Uh-huh …"

"Isn't that … I don't know … against regulations? I mean, if something went wrong you could have been kicked out – at least from what I've heard."

She heard Daniel chuckle amusedly, and furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Oh, boy, I should have been clearer on that. No, we first met when she was in the class, and I was a TA. We didn't start our relationship until after she graduated, more than a semester later. At that point, we were both graduate students in the department, and neither of us were TA's for each other's classes. I'm more than aware of the regulations, Sam. I never would have agreed to do something unethical like that."

Sam smiled. "Glad to hear it."

"And, to be perfectly honest, _she_ sought _me_ out."

Sam began to snicker faintly as she could hear Daniel's blush coming over the phone line.

"Really?"

"Ah … yeah. I noticed that she was beginning to come to my office hours an awful lot, but I never questioned it and shrugged it off. It seemed innocent enough, since she came prepared with actual questions about the day's lecture. The following fall, I ran into her, a newly admitted graduate student, and she confessed that she was … ah … interested in me," he chose his words carefully. "We were in some of the same classes together. We'd get together to study for exams, and things just blossomed from there."

"Well, it seems that she knew a good thing when she saw it," Sam said playfully.

"Please take your flattery someplace else, Samantha. You're making me feel about ten feet tall right now, and I'm not used to that, I'll have you know," he said, half-jokingly.

"Okay," she conceded with a little laugh. She turned back to the computer monitor, as Joe's email seemed to be reminding her of its presence. "Uh, I better get going. I had a long day and I'd like to shower and get to sleep early tonight," she said as she stifled a yawn.

"Yeah, sleep doesn't sound too bad about now," he agreed. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

Sam minimized her email program so the email message would stop distracting her. "Uh … Saturday?" she asked, flustered.

"Yeah," Daniel replied.

"Um … no, I'm not … doing anything," she trailed off as she glanced quickly at the small calendar on the wall to her left. "Why?"

Daniel hesitated, as if he wanted to propose something, but changed his mind at the last minute. "Okay if I give you a call tomorrow afternoon? Will you be around?"

Sam's brow knitted in confusion for a moment. "Yeah, I should be around."

"Okay, would about three o'clock be good for you?"

"Sure."

"Okay, great. I'll talk to you then," Daniel said happily.

His tone of voice warmed the cockles of Sam's heart.

"Okay, Daniel. Have a good night," she returned genially.

"Good night, Sam."

Sam took a deep breath after she hung up the phone. She felt nice and warm inside, which was how she usually felt after seeing Daniel or talking to him. Shouldn't that be trying to tell her something? Why was she wasting her time with this Joe? Why should she even bother going any further with him?

She thought back to what Sara had told her not long before. _You can date two guys at the same time, Sam._ She decided there wouldn't be any harm in it. As long as she and Daniel were only friends, she shouldn't feel ashamed at all.

She clicked "reply to sender", and began typing:

"Joe,

Yes, I agree, I think we both are looking for the same thing. Don't worry – you're not being too forward. I have friends that would rather talk on the phone instead of emailing back and forth.

Thanks for your phone number. When would be the best time to call you? Actually…it might be better if you call me. My phone number is 555-1473. I'm home on evenings and most weekends. Look forward to hearing from you.

Sam"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sam hummed to herself as she tidied up her living room. She wasn't expecting company or anything, but she was still quite fastidious and was always intent on keeping her place spotless. After a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, she washed the kitchen floor and then began vacuuming the living room rug.

She nearly missed the phone ringing.

Her eyes widened in realization and she abruptly shut the vacuum off. As she headed over to the phone, her brow creased as she wondered who would be calling her on a Saturday afternoon.

"Hello."

"Hi, Sam, it's Daniel."

A smile grew on her face as she recognized his voice. She'd almost forgotten that he was going to call her.

"Hey, Daniel."

"Hey. How is your weekend so far?"

"Eh … it's a weekend," she smirked.

Daniel laughed softly. Sam loved hearing his laugh.

"How's your weekend?" she asked.

"Oh, it could be better," he sighed.

Her silence prompted him to continue. "I'm doing some proposal work, with a deadline of May 14th."

"May 14th?" she questioned. "That's more than a month."

"More than a month, yes, but three proposals, so …"

"Ouch," Sam winced. "I'm sorry you had to bother calling me, then," she said as a twinge of guilt suddenly hit her.

"Sam, please don't be silly. It was my decision to call you. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it was a good idea. Besides, this is my break."

Sam smiled. "Okay, just as long as you are taking a break."

"I am. So, talk to me … tell me anything," he said cutely.

Sam grinned widely as she pictured Daniel, hunched over a desk with the phone in his hand, stubble on his face, and tousled hair.

"Uh … so, what are the proposals about?"

"W-well," Daniel hesitated. "I'm not sure you'll find this very interesting, but –"

"Don't think that way," she interrupted. "As long as it has nothing to do with astrophysics or geology for once, I'm sure I'll find it very interesting," she said ruefully.

"Is that a bet?" he asked her amusedly.

"You got it, mister," she chuckled.

"Okay, well my first proposal is an analysis of religious, symbolic and socio-cultural significance of funeral rituals of Old Kingdom Egypt. It's a bit of a step back for me, but one of my graduate students was dying to do something like this, and he came up with an interesting angle that, embarrassingly, I hadn't thought of before," Daniel finished with a nervous chuckle.

"Um … wow," Sam replied. "That's a bit of a step back for you?"

"Ah … yeah," he said sheepishly. "Anyway, the second proposal deals with the Fortress of Mudaybi in present-day Jordan. A few graduate students and I spent some time there last summer. It's basically a comparative typology of Iron Age fortresses."

"That's really interesting," she mused.

"And the third proposal covers a small Mesolithic site at Fife Ness in Scotland," Daniel finished.

"Wow, Egypt, Jordan and Scotland? You're all over the place, Daniel!" she joked.

Daniel forced a chuckle.

"Man, what I do pales in comparison," she exclaimed.

"Oh, come on," Daniel scoffed. "We both have our own areas of expertise. Your work isn't any less impressive than mine; I'm sure of it."

"Nah … I haven't written a proposal since I was at GWU. What I'm doing now isn't anything special," she insisted.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm advising a couple of students who just finished their masters theses and will be graduating next month. Brian studied the evolution of molecular abundance in protoplanetary disks. And the other, Kathy, was trying to directly characterize stellar populations via UV – ultraviolet – photometry of individual hot, evolved stars in three galaxies. We think her results can be compared to predictions of stellar evolutionary theory."

"Wow, that's pretty interesting," he commented, seemingly impressed.

"You think so?"

"Sure, I mean, it's great that you're exploring what's out there – in deep space … what's capable of happening out there, and how it all fits together."

Sam smiled. "You know what I was thinking the other day? God, I must have been so stressed out …"

"What?" he asked curiously.

"I was annoyed about the lackluster topics that people were presenting at the colloquia in our department. It's always the same old geology or geochemistry stuff. I longed for the day when an actual astrophysicist would give a talk, even if it was something about intergalactic travel by means other than space ship across the galaxy."

"Intergalactic travel?" Daniel questioned. "Sounds like something out of Star Trek, or Battlestar Galactica, or something."

"Doesn't it?" Sam laughed. "It's amazing what you'll come up with when you're under stress."

Daniel chuckled. "Well, actually I had a student a couple of years back who had a similarly preposterous theory, only he wasn't under a lot of stress. He actually offered a theory that the pyramids in Egypt were millennia older than they actually were, and that they were … used as launching pads for some race of UFOs, or something to that effect. I said to him, 'are you kidding me? That's something for a science fiction novel, not something for which you can apply for funding from the Archaeological Institute of America. You'd be laughed right out of academia.' I mean, think about it, launching pads for aliens?" he laughed.

Sam snickered. "So, what happened?"

"He got pissed off at me and transferred to Columbia U. I never heard from him, nor heard anything about him. If he got any papers published, I sure haven't seen them."

"Wow."

"I wasn't that hard on him, honest. He was just the type of person who is not only very passionate about his ideas and theories, but also very sensitive and can't take any criticism at all. Unfortunately, in academia, it's not exactly a winning combination."

"I'll say," Sam remarked.

Daniel sighed. "Oh, wow, is that the time – ten to four?" he suddenly blurted out.

Sam quickly glanced at the clock on her living room wall and answered in the affirmative.

"I'd better get back to this stuff," he said regrettably.

"Okay. Well, I have to say it was a real pleasure talking to you, Daniel," Sam smiled faintly.

"Always a pleasure, Sam," he returned. "I'll be down at the Java House on Monday morning, same as usual. I don't know if I'll see you …" he trailed off carefully.

"I'll see you there," she replied. "I don't know who's been making the coffee in the faculty lounge lately, but it's burnt to a crisp."

"Ugh, that's not good," Daniel laughed.

"No," she grinned. "I could use something that more closely resembles coffee. You're usually there, what, around 9?"

"Ah … 8:30, 9-ish," he confirmed.

"Okay. Unless anything changes, I'll be there."

"Great. Enjoy the rest of your weekend."

"You too, and try not to get too bogged down in those proposals," she said playfully.

"I will," he chuckled in spite of himself. "Bye, Sam."

"Bye, Daniel."

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed much too quickly. Sam had gotten her housework done, caught up on some reading she'd been meaning to do for quite a while, talked to both her father and her brother on the phone, and got in a bit of exercise as well. A few blocks over, at the end of a dead end street, was a small pathway that led to a little creek. In the distance, past a group of foothills, were the almighty Colorado Rockies. The area afforded a beautiful view, especially when the sun was shining, and was one of the rewards she received for moving out here. She liked to go there when she wanted time alone to herself to reflect. It was often very secluded, with a small bench or two. Sam hoped that one day she'd be able to share it with someone special.

After she returned from the walk that Sunday afternoon, she noticed she had received a message on her answering machine from Daniel. He had called to confirm that he would be at the coffee shop on Monday morning, and that he'd be there closer to 8:30 than 9. Sam smiled as she heard his voice on the machine, and thought about what a sweet man he was. He seemed very reliable, polite and interesting. Although she wasn't quite used to having someone call her every day, she was a bit flattered.

It had gotten chilly on Sunday evening, so after an early dinner, Sam had a warm bath and settled into bed, watching an astronomy documentary on the Discovery channel. It was one of those "chicken-little" documentaries, in which the possibility of an asteroid impact producing a cataclysmic effect that might bring about the end of the world was discussed. Sam snorted and snickered as she listened to the scientists' seemingly preposterous theories, and thought they could be dismissed in about five seconds.

After a good chuckle, she switched the TV off and curled up with a Stephen Hawking tome. At close to 11 PM, her eyelids started to give way. She held her place with a bookmark and replaced the book on the edge of her night table, before she was mired in sound sleep.

* * *

Sam woke up with a start upon hearing the phone jangle on the wall next to her bed. She turned and squinted at the clock radio, which informed her that it was after 1 AM.

"What the hell …?" she muttered sleepily. As she picked up the phone, her mind, groggy from sleep, wondered why Daniel would dare call her after midnight.

"Hello?" she nearly whispered.

"Hi, is this Sam?" an unfamiliar male voice inquired.

"Uh … y-yeah," Sam immediately sobered up. "Wh-who is this?"

"This is Joe, you know, from ProfessionalMatch?"

Sam's eyes widened and she felt as if she'd taken a blow to the chest.

"Oh … right. Um … hi," she said awkwardly.

"Hi!" he said genially.

Sam turned her head from the receiver momentarily to yawn.

"Sorry I'm only calling you now, but I had a lot of things to do. My job has me working extra hours now, plus I was at a friend's house for a party on Friday night, and then another party last night. I would have called sooner, but …"

"I-it's okay," she interrupted impatiently. "It's just that it's 1 AM, and –"

"Oh, well you didn't tell me when the best time was to call you!" he exclaimed.

Sam sighed. Sometimes she could be really stupid.

"Well, in my profile, I said that I was a professor at UCCS, and my schedule doesn't usually allow me to be up late nights," she answered.

"Oh, that's right, I think you had mentioned that," he said, his tone unapologetic.

"Yes. And, speaking of that, how did you know to contact me? I un-subscribed to ProfessionalMatch almost a month ago, so my profile shouldn't be up there anymore," she said suspiciously.

"Oh. Well … I hope you don't think there's something wrong with me, but … to tell you the truth, I came upon your profile back in the middle of February. I just saved it to my computer and was meaning to get in contact with you then, but so many things came up and I didn't get a chance!" he chuckled nervously.

Sam smirked. "Uh-huh," she answered, not sounding as if she was buying it.

"No, I'm serious!" he insisted, still chuckling.

"Fine."

"So, um … can you tell me a little more about yourself? What do you teach?" he prodded.

"Astrophysics – listen, it's kind of late for this and I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Can we talk another time?" she nearly begged.

"Oh, sure. What time would be better for you?"

"Try me around 8 PM," Sam replied after thinking for a moment.

"Okay, I'll do that. Sweet dreams, Professor Sam!" he said jokingly.

"Ha ha, yeah, take care," she said just before hanging up.

She shook her head and laughed incredulously. "Professor Sam?" she repeated in disbelief. Once her laughter ceased, she frowned and eased back down on her pillow. She turned and looked at the clock, realizing that it was nearly 1:30 AM.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she said quietly. The guy sounded nice, but the fact that he called late at night was a bit unnerving. Granted, she had forgotten to tell him in the email when it was best to call her, but what kind of person is still up past midnight, talking on the phone?

_A professor like me_, she thought to herself. There were many times that she'd pulled all-nighters – not just as a student, but also as a professor, when proposal deadlines loomed. Still, she didn't need to worry about those for quite some time, and her schedule was pretty regular, especially during this semester.

_A professor like Daniel_, she then thought. From the sound of Daniel's voice when she talked to him on Saturday, it sounded like he was going crazy with his proposals, and might be looking at a few more late nights. Daniel wouldn't try to call her this late, though. He knew that evenings and weekends were best for her, and he stuck to that schedule.

Sam sighed and shut her eyes, hoping that she could let go of these thoughts and finally drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Geez, what's with this guy? I mean, he called me at 1 AM when I was half asleep! At least Daniel is polite and calls when he knows I'm going to be awake!"

"Whoa, calm down, girl," Sara admonished her.

"Sorry," Sam sighed. "It's just that, I hate it when people are rude like that. I was sleeping soundly when that stupid phone rang. I'm just _so _exhausted, Sara."

"Well, it is only 7 AM, Sam. Do you have to leave so early?"

"No, not really … but I'd like to get down to the Java House by 8:30. I told Daniel I'd be there."

"Daniel, hmm?"

"Yeah, is that such a big deal?"

"No … you like Daniel, don't you?"

"Yeah, he's a nice guy … but he's just a friend," she added quickly.

"So, what are you going to do about this Joe, then?"

"He's supposed to call me tonight at 8. He didn't make such a great first impression, but I'm willing to give him another chance," she replied.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. And, be honest, Sam – you didn't tell him when the best time was to call you. You're just as much at fault as he is."

"Yeah, I know. I better run, I have to have breakfast and get dressed so I won't be late," Sam said briskly.

"Can't you get a bite to eat over there?" Sara asked curiously.

"Can't drive on an empty stomach," Sam answered quickly.

"Whatever. I'm going back to bed. Have a good day," Sara said, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, thanks," Sam said curtly before hanging up.

* * *

As Sam collected her extra large Macchiato, she noticed a familiar face sitting at a small table for two near the back of the coffee shop. In a slight attempt to make herself presentable, she brushed a strand of damp hair over to the side of her face. As she neared the table, she noticed Daniel looking at her curiously.

She sat down across from him and he looked at her, wide-eyed, as she plunked her purse down next to the window and threw her umbrella next to it. There was a heavy downpour outside, and it was so windy that it blew her umbrella inside out and rendered it useless. She'd pulled the collar of her long raincoat up around her ears, to no avail. Even though she'd gotten a parking space right out front, she still managed to get quite wet. She looked at him, dry and immaculate, and wondered how he was able to escape the same fate. Her question was answered as she noticed the hooded, blue jacket he wore over his brown and white plaid shirt.

"Rough night?" he asked.

"Hmm? What makes you say that?" she muttered, looking up from her coffee.

"You just don't look so good, that's all," he replied, a tinge of blush in his cheeks.

"Thanks," she said sarcastically, earning a forced smile from him.

"That'll burn a hole in your stomach," he said amusedly as he noticed her gargantuan cup of java.

"Oh, like yours won't?" she challenged with a smirk.

"Hey, you've got a Macchiato. This is just a Single Latte," he said innocently, gesturing to his large (though smaller than hers) cup before taking a sip.

"That's a milkshake," she teased. "Look at all that foam. Is there any actual coffee in there?"

"I think so …" Daniel said as he peered into the coffee cup before lifting it to his lips and taking another sip. "…Tastes like there is."

Sam shook her head and smirked at him.

"I've had it black for two days straight, working on those proposals. This morning I wanted something that's a little milder, but still substitutes well for sleep," he chuckled weakly.

Sam's smirk faded and she studied his face. "How did that go?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, not expecting the question right now. "Oh, ah … I made some progress," he said shyly. "I still have a ways to go on them, but I'm pretty much on schedule."

Sam smiled at him and nodded, earning a faint smile back from him. The smile faded when he took in her appearance again: the somewhat paler than usual complexion, the heavy eyelids, and the dark circles under her eyes.

"I mean it, Sam, you don't look too good. Do you feel okay?" he asked, his brow creased as he looked at her intently.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. In truth, she was exhausted. "I just got a phone call late last night."

"From Sara?" Daniel asked.

"No … from that guy from the dating service … Joe," she blurted out uneasily.

Daniel looked at her seriously. "Oh," he finally answered in a small voice.

Sam nodded and averted her eyes. "He called at 1 AM."

"1 AM?" Daniel exclaimed incredulously, his mouth dropping open.

Sam nodded grimly. "It was partly my fault, actually."

"Why?" he asked quietly.

"I never told him when the best time for him to call was. I guess I just assumed he'd read my profile, noticed I was a professor, and had a set schedule …"

"But even so, it's just common courtesy to call during the day or evening, when you're certain that the person you're trying to reach is actually _awake_," he insisted.

A slight grin danced briefly upon Sam's lips before she became stone-faced again. "I guess you're right," she sighed.

Daniel looked at her closely and as she lifted her gaze, her eyes met his. For a moment, she felt as though she was lost in his deep, blue orbs.

"I … uh…" she stammered as she shrugged herself out of it. "It wasn't a very long conversation. He started asking me questions about what I do and I just cut him off and asked if we could talk another time."

Daniel nodded. "Smart move."

"He's supposed to call me again tonight …"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, and Sam interrupted him before he could say anything.

"… Around 8."

"Oh, well that's better," he said sheepishly.

Sam nodded. "I just hope I'm not making a mistake," she suddenly blurted out.

"What makes you think you're making a mistake?" Daniel asked slowly, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't really make such a good first impression, calling me so late like that …" she trailed off.

"Hey, I didn't make such a good first impression either," Daniel chuckled nervously, pointing to his coffee cup.

Sam forced a chuckle. "Yeah, but you wouldn't call me at 1 AM," she offered.

Daniel shrugged. "It's just one incident, Sam. Don't write him off completely. You'll have a better idea of him when he calls you again. Your opinion may change, or it might not. There's really no telling what you can expect. But, I wouldn't worry. You seem to have good judgment." He finished his statement with a little smile.

Sam blushed and immediately averted her eyes. She was quite embarrassed by what Daniel had said, mostly because she was beginning to have doubts about her judgment. After a moment, she looked back up at him.

"Thanks, that's really sweet of you to say," she said softly.

He replied with a kind smile – one that made her feel safe and warm inside. He suddenly broke his stare and looked down at his watch.

"I wish I didn't have to leave just yet, but I have to attend a seminar at 10," he said regrettably.

"Oh, uh … that's okay," she said, flustered as she snapped back to reality. "I have to prepare for that lecture anyway."

Daniel nodded as he got to his feet, pushed his chair in and picked up his umbrella and briefcase.

"I'll walk you to your car," he told her as he let her go ahead of him on their way to the front doors.

"Oh, thanks, actually I'm parked right out there," she said, gesturing to a teal green Ford Taurus parked several spaces away from the entrance.

"Oh," Daniel nodded. As they exited, he held the door open for her. They stood under the small overhang above the doors, and watched in futility as the rain came down rapidly in sheets.

"I better make a run for it," she said grimly. "This thing is totally useless." She held up her umbrella, or rather, the remains of her umbrella.

Daniel frowned and then looked down at the black umbrella he was holding.

"Here, take mine," he said, holding it out for her.

She looked at the umbrella, and then back up at him, her face serious. "Thanks, but I can't."

"No, it's okay," he insisted.

"Are you sure?" she said uneasily. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to get drenched either."

Daniel shook his head. "I have this, remember?" he replied as he pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head.

Sam averted her eyes and nodded. Daniel was about to place the umbrella in her hands when she took if from him.

"Thanks," she said, her lips twitching upward into a faint smile. "I'll give it back to you tomorrow, or Wednesday the latest."

"No, you can keep it," Daniel interrupted. "I have a lot of them at home, so no worries."

She looked back up at him and smiled.

"Well, thanks for the good company," she said forthrightly.

"Anytime," he smiled. "Will you be here tomorrow morning?" he suddenly asked.

Sam's brow knitted in confusion as she tried to remember what she had planned for the next day.

"Um … I don't _think_ I have anything going on … can I call you later tonight?" she said tentatively.

"Oh, okay," he said, slightly surprised. "Or why don't I call you? Would 8:30 be okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," she replied.

"Okay, I'll talk to you then," he smiled. "Have a good day, and be careful in this rain."

"I will," she nodded. "Same to you, Daniel. I'll talk to you later."

He smiled and nodded. She quickly opened up Daniel's umbrella, stepped out from underneath the overhang and was almost overwhelmed by the fierce, driving rain that she suddenly found herself in. On her way back to the car, she looked back once at Daniel and started chuckling to herself, seeing him wearing a hood that almost covered his eyes and most of his face. It looked like it was about to swallow him whole.

As she drove slowly down the street, she witnessed Daniel running towards the corner, about to turn right and head for the parking lot in back of the chain of stores. She honked at him and he stopped briefly to give her a wave. Sam shook her head and chuckled softly as she continued toward the university.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she realized that Joe was supposed to call at 8. _Oh no_, she thought. If Daniel was planning to call at 8:30, she hoped that her conversation with Joe wouldn't be long.

* * *

Sam had just finished eating dinner when the phone rang. She was running much later than usual, due to an impromptu party held for a student who had successfully defended her PhD dissertation more than a month ago. At the time, there had been many conflicts, which resulted in the party being pushed back almost indefinitely. Sam had only been notified of the party, which was held at 5 PM, after her astrophysics group's informal seminar at 2. She had been on the student's defense committee, so it was important that she be there. One problem with people in this department was that they tended to be fashionably late. The party didn't really get started until 5:30, and when Sam left at 7, most attending were still there. She quickly ran home, changed, and made dinner for herself.

She quickly glanced at the caller ID, and saw the name "Ryan, J.", along with a familiar looking number. After the third ring, she picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is Sam there?"

Sam glanced at the phone oddly, wondering why he'd think that anyone else would have picked up the phone when she lived alone.

"Speaking," she replied, clearing her throat.

"It's Joe."

"Oh," she replied, nervously scratching the back of her neck. "Hi."

"Hi! What were you doing, waiting for the answering machine to pick up?" he asked in a half-jokingly manner.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You picked up on the third ring," he said with just a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"And…? I was eating, I had to actually get up from the table to answer the phone –"

"Why don't you just stick the phone on the table, then? You have one of those cordless, portable phones?"

Sam made a face. "I … uh …" she sputtered incredulously.

"I'm just kiddin'," Joe broke in, chuckling. "Just messin' with ya!"

"Oh," Sam replied, forcing a laugh. She briefly rolled her eyes.

"Listen, I'm sorry I interrupted your dinner like that," he said once he'd calmed down.

"Oh, no, I just finished," she insisted.

"Oh, okay," he said in a patronizing tone. "So, uh … last night you said you were an astrophysics professor?"

"Yeah, that's right, at UCCS," she said tersely.

"Huh. Interesting," he mused. "I got my bachelors degree in project management from CTU."

"Oh … right, you said you're a manager for that software company…"

"Yeah, I'm a regional manager," he confirmed. "It's not a bad job, but I'm all over the place. I'm manager of the area encompassing both Colorado Springs and Pueblo, so it's not bad. I'm on call a lot, though … do quite a lot of traveling around and my boss and fellow employees are always bugging me on the phone," he chuckled ruefully.

"Well, sounds like you're keeping busy. That's good," Sam offered.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But I _really_ want to be a firefighter. I guess it seems like I'm throwing my career away, after my degree and all, but I've made up my mind. I'm going to be taking some tests … civil service test, physical fitness test … and hopefully I'll be selected as a probationary firefighter in Denver this summer, and, if I get in, I should start training not long after."

"Uh … well … good luck with that," she said awkwardly. "It's good that you know what you want to do."

"Yeah! So, what made you decide to go into astrophysics?"

"Um … w-well, I've always been into astronomy as a little girl. There was a point where I actually wanted to become an astronaut. I decided it was a bit too high-risk for me, though, so I went the strict scientist route. It's kind of hard to explain, so I won't bore you with the details," she laughed nervously.

"You wouldn't bore me!" he answered, almost taken aback. "No, not at all! Um … shifting gears here, I hope you won't mind if I ask you this," he said hesitantly.

"Ask me what?"

"This is gonna get a little personal, but … how many relationships have you been involved in?"

Sam's face was on fire. "Uh …" she stammered, "… To be quite frank, not many; I was too involved with schoolwork to really have time for many relationships."

"A pretty woman like you! You're kidding!" Joe exclaimed.

"No … well, I did date a guy after I graduated high school. We went out the whole summer, but we lost touch when the school year began again. We were going to different universities, thousands of miles apart."

"Okay," he said. "Have you had any luck with ProfessionalMatch? I guess not, since you un-subscribed, right?"

"No. I did meet a few guys, but I knew they weren't for me."

"Yeah, same here. I've been on it for almost a year, now, but most of the girls I've met were game players. They were mostly from their late teens to mid twenties, and didn't have their priorities straight. You could tell they didn't want a serious relationship."

Sam furrowed her brow. He was 37, and he dated girls in their late teens? It certainly wasn't unheard of, but she still found it a little odd.

"Uh-huh," she finally said.

"So, it looks like we're both looking for the same thing," he exclaimed.

"Uh … yeah," she replied.

"Hmm, are you watching anything on TV now?" he suddenly blurted out.

"Uh, no. I just finished eating and I have to do the dishes," she said curiously. _Why am I even telling him?_

"Yeah, I don't think there's anything good on Monday nights … right? Hmm … let's see what's on TV…" he said, more to himself.

Sam looked at the phone incredulously as she heard him flipping channels on the other end.

"Hmm … nah, it looks like screwball sitcoms," he finally said. "So, we've talked on the phone already, and you seem like a nice woman. I think I'd like to go out with you one night. Let's see … are you free on Wednesday night?"

Sam's eyebrows shot up. They'd only exchanged a few emails and one phone call, and already he wanted to go out? Sam began to feel a bit uncomfortable, as if she was suddenly backed up against a wall.

She was saved as the call-waiting tone suddenly broke in.

"Oh, geez, I have another call. Can you hold on a minute?" she asked.

"Sure."

Sam pushed the "flash" button. "Hello?"

"Hi, Sam?" a familiar voice asked hesitantly. She glanced at her watch quickly and realized it was just after 8:30.

"Daniel? Oh, thank God," she sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked curiously. "Did you talk to Joe yet?"

"Yeah," she said. "Actually, I'm talking to him right now."

"Oh." Daniel sounded surprised. "Well, I won't keep you, then –"

"No, no, it's okay. You were checking to see if I could meet you for coffee tomorrow morning, right?"

"Ah … yeah. Are you okay, though? The way you said 'thank God' made me think that you couldn't wait to get off the phone with him. Did it turn into an interrogation or something?"

Sam laughed softly. "No, not really … he surprised me a bit, some of the things he said. He just asked me an awkward question – putting me on the spot. Before I could answer, I got your call. That was impeccable timing, Daniel."

Daniel chuckled. "What question did he ask you?"

"I really shouldn't talk about it now," she said uneasily as her laughter faded. "The longer I have him on hold, the more suspicious he'll get."

"He has no reason to be suspicious," Daniel said. "Does he?"

"I'll … I'll tell you all about it tomorrow morning. I really should get back to him."

"Okay," Daniel conceded. "See you at nine o'clock again?"

"Sounds good," she said brightly. "Have a good night."

"Good night, Sam," Daniel returned.

Sam pushed the "flash" button again to get back to Joe's call.

"Hi, sorry about that," she said.

"Who was that, one of your old boyfriends, begging you to take him back?" Joe asked. She was pretty sure that he was kidding, but from his tone it wasn't very easy to tell.

"No, it was my dad," she lied.

"Your dad? At this hour?" he returned.

"He was calling long distance, from Washington, D.C. I couldn't hang up on him," she said sheepishly.

"Washington, D.C., eh? Don't tell me he's one of those useless congressmen that we seem to have so much of," he joked.

"No, he's a general in the Air Force. He's at the Pentagon," she replied tersely.

"Oh. Does he call you often?"

"Uh … yeah … usually once a week. We've been close for a very long time. It was hard for me to leave him and move out here."

"I'll bet, if you have such a good relationship with him. I have a pretty good relationship with my parents. Actually they live fairly local, so I'm always over their house tormenting them. They can't wait for me to go home!" he laughed.

Sam forced a chuckle.

"Anyway, are you free on Wednesday night? I'd really like to take you out."

"Uh …" she stammered. "Would it be okay for us to wait a while longer on that, until after we've talked a little more and gotten to know each other better? I just think it's a little too sudden," she said tentatively, afraid of what the answer was going to be.

"Oh, no, I understand," he said after a beat. "Why don't I give you a call tomorrow and we can talk some more? Is this time okay for you?"

"Uh, yeah … usually."

"Great. Maybe we could go out on the weekend, then. It doesn't have to be anything outrageous, maybe just dinner at a casual place or something. We'll talk about it tomorrow night, okay?"

"Sure, that sounds good," she replied.

"Okay, have a good one and I'll talk to you tomorrow!" Joe said jovially.

"Thanks, you too. Bye," Sam said briskly before she hung up.

As she replaced the receiver, she sighed deeply and leaned on the kitchen counter with her head in her hands.

_I hope I'm doing the right thing_, she said to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Daniel quickly looked up from his cup of coffee as he heard the front door of the coffee house slam. His eyes focused on the woman who'd just come through the door. The small spark of hope that made them twinkle was quickly extinguished when he noticed the woman had straight, blonde hair past her shoulders, and looked nearly ten years younger than Sam.

He looked down at his watch for what seemed to be the tenth time in ten minutes. It was only 8:55 AM. What on Earth was keeping her?

_No, why am I thinking this way?_ He silently berated himself. She told him she'd meet him at 9, not 8:30 or even 8:45. She still had more than five minutes before she'd be considered late. Why was he being so anxious? Could it have something to do with the way she sounded on the phone the night before?

Daniel replayed the conversation in his head. He managed to get her on the phone in the middle of her conversation with Joe. She couldn't say much to him, as she still had the other man on hold and it might seem rude to keep him waiting for so long. She'd told him that Joe had made a few strange remarks, and had asked her a very awkward question just before Daniel's call came in. The slight uneasy tone in her voice – not to mention the way she addressed him with "oh, thank God" – made it sound like she wasn't exactly enjoying her conversation with Joe.

After Daniel hung up the phone, he realized that he was starting to feel quite concerned about Sam. She had expressed a few doubts about this man in the beginning, starting with the suspicion over his emailing her even after it'd been a while since she'd cancelled her subscription with the online dating service. Somehow, she found it in her to give him a chance. Daniel shut his eyes as he realized that he himself might have helped her decide that. When she told him how annoyed she was over receiving a phone call from Joe well after midnight, Daniel had told her not to write him off completely.

He briefly removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't so sure that Sam was making the right decision, and he'd only helped it along. Why would he do such a thing? At the moment, he could only come up with two reasons: either he really did believe that she should give him a chance, that perhaps calling her so late at night, or having a bit of quirkiness to him wouldn't necessarily mean he was a bad person; or he really did care for Sam so greatly that he didn't want it to seem too evident to her.

Daniel snorted as he considered the first possibility. He conceded that, even into his early thirties, he wasn't nearly as cynical as he probably should be, and that he tended to see the good in all people. For a moment, he couldn't believe that he was this naïve. It was almost an embarrassment, but, unfortunately, something that was a part of who he was, and something that would be somewhat hard for him to shed.

He blushed faintly as he considered the second possibility. Would it be possible, after not knowing Sam very long at all, to care so much about her? After his short time on the phone with her last night, he'd nearly gotten the urge to blurt out, "He's not right for you, Sam. Don't take the chance." It might have been his imagination, but he thought that doing so would make her think that he wanted her all to himself, and dating anyone else would be out of the question. He didn't want Sam to think that he wanted to own her. If she wanted to go out with someone with whom she felt she could have something special, he shouldn't try to steal that chance from her.

Daniel sighed as he realized these two possibilities were at odds with one another, and that he was at a total impasse as far as his feelings about this whole "Joe thing" were. On one hand, he felt that he shouldn't try to hold her back at a chance of love and happiness, but on the other hand, he realized how much he cared for her and wanted to protect her from any bad experiences that might occur. Was there a happy medium in there?

He glanced quickly down at the Mochaccino that he'd procured for Sam just minutes ago, which sat next to his own billowing-with-whipped-cream concoction, and suddenly wondered if getting it was a mistake. Would she think he was too buddy-buddy with her and be turned off?

Daniel suddenly chuckled to himself for thinking in such a ridiculous way. He was her friend, and there certainly wasn't anything wrong with treating her to a cup of coffee. She'd probably do the same for him. They were friends, the type of friends who share things with each other, who give and look to each other for advice without hesitation … and who express concern for one another when appropriate.

Daniel realized he'd discovered the happy medium and smiled faintly. He reached for his own cup of coffee, brought it up to his lips, and sipped thoughtfully.

He jumped slightly as he heard a woman clearing her throat in front of him. In the process, he managed to get a small dollop of whipped cream on the end of his nose. He abruptly placed his cup down on the table and felt warmth in his cheeks as he witnessed Sam sitting across from him and snickering softly.

His blush grew deeper as he reached for a napkin. He gave her a mock pout, which only made her snicker more.

"Sorry," she got out before clearing her throat again. "I just … you look so cute when you do that."

Now it was her turn to blush as his eyebrows shot up. _Did I just say he looks cute?_

"Uh … I mean …"

Daniel shook his head dismissively. "It's okay," he smiled amusedly.

A short, nervous laugh made its way out of her throat. "I didn't mean to laugh, it's just that … I really needed to laugh," she said.

Daniel's smile faded and his eyebrows drew together as his forehead knitted in confusion. "Why?" he asked curiously.

Her eyes met his for a split second, and he thought she looked a little bit lost. After a moment, she shrugged herself out of it and shook her head.

"It's nothing," she said softly.

Daniel shrugged slightly. He reached for the second, untouched cup of coffee and handed it to her. "For you," he said quietly.

Sam appeared somewhat surprised when he handed the coffee to her. "That's really nice of you," she finally said, smiling as she accepted it. "Thanks."

"It's okay," Daniel smiled back.

She took a sip, and Daniel looked at her thoughtfully. He wondered if she was ever going to tell him about her conversation with Joe last night, or perhaps he should get the conversation going and ask about it. He thought it might make him sound as if he was prying, so he decided he would wait until she brought it up herself.

For the next five minutes or so, they sipped their coffee in silence. Daniel began to think that Sam didn't want to discuss it at all. He wondered if the man had made her so uncomfortable, that she just didn't want to mention it to Daniel, let alone to anyone.

"Don't you want to know what Joe said last night?" she suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

Daniel's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh … ah … yeah. I forgot you had talked to him last night," he said sheepishly. _Yeah, right. That's a lame excuse if I ever heard one._

Sam grinned and nodded. "Remember when I said I didn't want to make him suspicious?"

Daniel nodded.

"He called just as I was finishing dinner. By the time I made my way over to the phone and checked out the caller ID, it was on the third ring. He greeted me with 'were you waiting for the answering machine to pick up?'"

Daniel's brow knitted in confusion. "Huh?"

Sam smirked and nearly bit her lip to avoid laughing just yet. "That's what he said. He sounded suspicious and told me that I picked up on the third ring."

"So? Is that such a big deal?" Daniel asked.

Sam shrugged. "I didn't know what to think. I insisted I'd just finished eating, and had to actually get up from the table to answer the phone. He said something like, 'oh, can't you just have the portable phone on the table?' I thought, 'what difference does it make?' until he told me he was just joking around."

"Oh," Daniel nodded.

"You wouldn't believe what he said next, Daniel," she continued, grinning widely. "He asked if I was watching TV."

Daniel made a bewildered face. "Well, obviously not, if you just finished eating …"

Sam smirked and nodded. "He said something about there not being anything good on TV on Monday nights, and then he said, 'let's see what's on now … hmm …'" She could no longer keep a straight face and broke out into laughter.

"What?" Daniel sputtered incredulously as he began laughing as well.

"I'm serious!" she laughed. "I could even hear him flipping channels on the other end!"

The two friends shared a brief laugh. "Oh, God, Sam, I hope you know what you're getting into," Daniel blurted out, shaking his head as his laughter faded. Sam grinned as she realized he'd only meant it facetiously. Her eyes sought out her coffee cup, and she averted them as she took another sip.

"So, anything else?" he asked once he'd calmed down completely.

"Um, well," she began hesitantly. "He told me a little about his job. He's a regional manager for that software company, I think for both Colorado Springs and Pueblo."

"Wow," Daniel said thoughtfully.

"He kept insisting that he wants to be a firefighter, though. When you called, I told him that I was talking to my dad."

Daniel looked at her curiously.

"I had to come up with something believable," she elaborated. "As soon as I got back to him, he asked me if that was one of my old boyfriends, begging for me to take him back. He sounded like he was joking, but I wasn't entirely sure."

"Gee …" Daniel trailed off.

"When I told him it was my dad, he even asked why he'd be calling so late at night."

"Are you kidding?" Daniel asked.

Sam shook her head. "I told him it was a long distance call from D.C. He assumed my dad was a congressman, as if that's all D.C. is made up of. I told him he was a General in the Air Force."

"It's odd that he's so suspicious," Daniel mused. Sam looked at him curiously and he realized he might have spoken too much. He blushed faintly.

"Ah … sorry, I didn't mean –"

"No, it's okay," she assured him. "I thought it was a little odd at first, too. He did tell me quite a few times that he wasn't into playing games. I'm wondering if he had a previous relationship with a girl, and it may have gotten serious before she left him, or cheated on him, or something."

Daniel shrugged. "I guess that would be grounds for making someone a bit suspicious, but not to that extent."

She stared at him again, almost as if she was taken aback, and he realized he'd said too much again.

"I'm sorry, it's really none of my business," he said quickly.

She shook her head once again. "Daniel, please. We're friends and I'm volunteering this information to you. Of course it's your business."

"But, it's your relationship," he said softly.

Sam looked at him and thought she would cry. She realized that he seemed to really care for her. For a split second, she wondered if she was going about this all wrong. Sure, this Joe seemed like a nice guy, but something about him just wasn't exactly right. Daniel had a few little quirks, but he was a sweet, thoughtful man who really seemed to care about her. He was right under her nose and she was overlooking him. Out of all the men she'd known, her father notwithstanding, he seemed to treat her best.

One thing was stopping her from proceeding, though. She wasn't exactly sure how he felt about her. Even though he seemed to care quite a lot for her, she wondered if he had a special someone that he wasn't telling her about. She admonished herself for thinking this way. Daniel didn't seem to be the type to withhold anything from her, even though they'd only known each other a short while.

There was something underlying all of this; it was a feeling that she wasn't still 100 sure about, but one that was pretty strong. She saw him as a friend – potentially a best friend – and the thought of dating your best friend was something she wasn't quite comfortable with. Furthermore, she wasn't even sure if he'd want to pursue a relationship with her. In a way, it was almost like she was playing hard to get with him, if indeed he was interested in her. The thought hadn't crossed Sam's mind, and it was quite possible that she didn't want to think about it.

"Are you okay?"

Daniel's voice brought her back to the present.

"Hmm?" she said, startled.

"You looked a little lost there," he said, sounding concerned.

"Oh, uh … sorry," she said, clearing her throat. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to remember what they were talking about.

"Oh … as I was saying, we're friends and you don't have to give it a second thought. If I didn't think it was any of your business, I wouldn't be telling you any of this."

Daniel smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay."

Sam grew a little smile of her own. It faded quickly as she remembered what else Joe had talked about.

"He wants to take me out," she suddenly blurted out.

Daniel raised his eyebrows quickly. It nearly embarrassed him to admit it, but at that moment, he felt an unwelcome feeling of disappointment rise up from inside him. His throat suddenly felt parched, and he reflexively reached for his cup of coffee and took a sip. His eyes begged Sam to continue.

"He said I sound like a nice person and that he'd be happy to take me out," she explained, a touch of uncertainty in her voice. "He asked if I was free tomorrow night."

"Already? Isn't that a little too … soon?" Daniel asked curiously. He blushed again, thinking that he'd overstepped his bounds.

He realized he had nothing to worry about as Sam looked him in the eyes and nodded.

"It's too soon," she concurred. "Plus, it's a weeknight, and I'm going to have a busy day on Thursday. Not only do I have to prepare my lecture, but I'll have office hours a good chunk of the day, plus colloquium in the late afternoon."

Daniel nodded.

"He understood, thankfully, and said he'd call me tonight to talk about going out on the weekend." She finished her sentence with a heavy sigh.

"You don't sound too enthusiastic," Daniel said carefully as he studied her face.

"It's not that," she said, shaking her head. "It's just … I don't know, this whole thing just seems so complicated."

"What whole thing?"

Sam shrugged slightly. "Dating … trying to figure people out … trying to decide if they're right for you, or if you're doing the right thing."

At that moment, Daniel wanted to hold Sam's hands tightly, look into her eyes, and tell her that she was making a mistake. If she was this unsure of Joe, she shouldn't take a chance with him. The possibility that he could risk losing her friendship prevented him from doing so. He didn't want to sound as if he was jealous, as if he was the one she should have a relationship with. He was in a tough situation, wanting to help her, but not to the extent that would push her away from him.

"Sam, as your friend – a friend you haven't known very long at all – I hope you won't be put off by what I'm about to say," he said, choosing his words carefully.

She looked at him expectantly.

"I've been thinking about this a bit. I care about you, and want to offer you as much advice as I possibly can without imposing too much."

He paused before continuing and looked down at his hands.

"All I can say is go with your instinct."

"My instinct?" she repeated quietly.

Daniel nodded. "Do you like him?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral so he wouldn't sound jealous. His eyes shot back up at her.

"That's a pretty loaded question," she said sheepishly.

"It shouldn't be," he returned softly.

Her mouth drew up tensely as she searched her soul for the right words. She was having a few doubts about Joe, but she was afraid that if she didn't give him a chance, another opportunity might never come along.

"I …" she began uneasily.

Daniel looked at her expectantly.

"I want to give him a chance," she finally said.

"Then go with your instinct," Daniel replied. At that moment, he felt that a tiny piece of him had died.

Sam nodded dumbly.

"Oh, look at the time," he suddenly blurted out, looking at his watch. "I have a staff meeting in a half hour. I'd better get going."

"Oh, yeah," Sam said quickly as she was jerked from her thoughts. She looked at him a bit sadly as he moved to get up.

"I guess I'll see you later, then," he said, a few cold notes in his voice.

"Daniel," she said sharply.

He turned back to her and raised his eyebrows curiously.

"I haven't made up my mind yet," she continued. "I still want to find out more about him. I'll probably have a better idea tonight."

Daniel allowed a small ray of hope to fill his heart that she was actually following her instinct, and would use good judgment to arrive at her decision. A small smile spread across his lips.

She returned the smile. "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

"Nine o'clock?" she asked.

"Sure," he nodded.

She smiled and nodded back. With a final smile, he made his way toward the front of the coffee shop and out the doors, leaving Sam to collect her purse, as well as her thoughts.

* * *

Sam sat at the desk in her home office that night, grading lab reports. She didn't usually like to bring her work home with her; she liked to keep her two lives separate from each other, and use her time at home to relax. Unfortunately, she'd promised the students in this particular section of the lab that she would have their reports graded and returned to them the next day. This section had the most students, 28 to be exact. She had underestimated the amount of time it would take for her to grade them, and ended up bringing almost half of them home with her.

She was just finishing up the second-to-last report when the chime for new email rudely disturbed her. She looked up from the paper and glanced at her email program's window. The next email was a department-wide announcement for a guest lecture to be held in just over a week. She shrugged and read the contents. It was apparently going to be a talk given by a professor from the Anthropology department.

"A small site in Fife Ness, Scotland: implications for the Mesolithic way of life."

Sam looked at the title with much interest and her brow furrowed in confusion. It seemed quite familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She scrolled down further until she came to the name of the lecturer …

… _Doctor Daniel Jackson, Professor of Archaeology, Dept. of Anthropological Sciences_.

Sam stared at the name and felt her heartbeat speed up. Daniel was giving a talk in her department.

"Lecture begins at 7:30 PM in Lecture Hall 001, coffee, juice and cookies to follow."

A faint smile appeared on Sam's lips as she thought back to her conversation with Daniel the past weekend. He'd told her how he was in the middle of several proposals, and she remembered that this was one of them. She quickly thumbed through her weekly planner, to see if there was anything planned for Thursday, April 24th. She sighed upon finding the day empty. She quickly scribbled down the title of the talk, the room number and the time.

She was about to put the book back in her purse when she nearly jerked out of her seat at the sound of the phone ringing. She calmed herself down, took a deep breath and picked up the receiver.

"Hello," she said tentatively.

"Hi, is Sam there?"

Sam shook her head and grinned. She realized this was to be expected each time Joe called.

"Speaking. Joe, is that you?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" he said facetiously, chuckling.

"Because you say that every time I answer the phone!" she exclaimed. "Who else are you expecting to answer it?"

"Oh, uh … yeah I guess you have a point there," he said, chuckling sheepishly.

Sam forced a slight laugh.

"So, how are you doing?"

"Uh … not too bad. I'm just grading a few lab reports," she replied.

"Oh, you're busy? Sorry if I interrupted you."

"No, I just finished. I don't usually bring my work home with me, but I promised the students I'd have their reports back to them by tomorrow, so …" she trailed off awkwardly.

"Oh, man!" he exclaimed playfully. "You really gotta take it easy there, lady!"

Sam forced another laugh. "No, it's not a big deal. I just finished them."

"Oh, okay. So, how was your day?" he asked, sounding a bit too cheerful for Sam's tastes.

"Eh, like any other day," she replied. "You know – same old, same old."

"Same old thing, eh?"

He chuckled nervously when Sam didn't reply. "So, are you watching anything good on TV now?"

Sam made a face. _Here we go again_, she thought.

"I was busy grading papers," she said awkwardly.

"What, you can't grade and watch at the same time?" he joked.

Sam's cheeks flushed. "No, I can't," she said tersely.

Joe's laughter faded. "I don't think there's anything good on now anyway. Hmm … let's see …"

Sam's face cracked wide open in a smirk and she nearly put her fist in her mouth to keep from laughing as she heard Joe flipping through his TV channels once again. She immediately recalled laughing over the fact with Daniel earlier in the day. They'd enjoyed a good laugh at Joe's expense.

"Nah, there's nothing on now," he said.

Sam accidentally let a small snicker escape, and she tried to cover it up by coughing.

"You okay?" he asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah, I just got something stuck in my throat," she said, clearing her throat.

"Oh, well, don't choke to death or anything!" he joked.

"I won't, I'm fine now."

"So, anyway, do you have any brothers or sisters?" he asked once he'd calmed down.

"Yeah, I have an older brother," she replied.

"That's it?"

"Mmm-hmm. He's five years older and lives in Maryland. He's married about 15 years and he has two kids, a boy and a girl."

"Oh, so you're an auntie, then!"

Sam blushed slightly. "Yeah, I am," she said, a small smile gracing her lips.

"That's great. I have three brothers and one sister, all older. I'm the baby of the family. They're all married except for me …"

Sam frowned a bit as she heard that.

"… They all have kids, too, so I'm an uncle. I've got eight nieces and nephews, and I spoil each of them rotten!" he said happily.

Sam's smile returned and she laughed gently. Well, one thing seemed certain: he really liked kids. It was one of the things that was important to her in a relationship.

"Okay, I don't want to keep you too long, so I'll come right out and say this," he began.

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion as she waited for him to go on.

"I really want to take you out, and you said that Wednesday wasn't good for you. How does Friday night sound?"

Sam felt her cheeks grow hot again. She quickly glanced at her calendar to see if she had anything important planned for that day.

"Uh … that sounds … good," she said hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" he prodded. "I mean, I don't want to take you out that night if it's not absolutely perfect for you."

"No, it's fine, really," she insisted.

"Okay, great!" he exclaimed. "So, where to meet, where to meet …" he trailed off as he tried to think of a good meeting place for them.

"Oh! Have you ever been to a restaurant called O'Malley's?" he finally asked.

Sam's brow creased for a moment before familiarity shone in her eyes. O'Malley's was a restaurant and bar that wasn't too far from the university. It was located near the Colorado Springs Country Club, at the end of a strip mall that featured clothing stores, a large bookstore, and a bowling alley, among others. She had visited the area a couple of times with some of her colleagues from Earth and Space Sciences.

"Sure, a few times."

"Would you like to meet there?" he asked hopefully. "Say, six o'clock? We could have some dinner, and then maybe walk around a bit. Would that be okay for you?"

"Six? That should be fine," she confirmed. "I don't have to attend any seminars, and my office hours end at four, so that should give me plenty of time."

"Great!" he said. "I'll meet you inside O'Malley's at six, then."

"Sounds good," Sam replied.

"Okay! Have a good night, Sam."

"Thanks, you too," she said.

"Okay, bye."

Sam sighed as she hung up the phone. She felt a headache coming on and she began to massage her temples. She began to question if she really was doing the right thing. Joe sounded a bit odd the first time she'd talked to him, but he didn't seem as bad this time around.

_Go with your instinct._

Daniel's words penetrated her mind, and they actually comforted her. She would be meeting this guy at a very well-known restaurant, at a reasonable hour, and she had her own transportation. As long as she was sure of herself, things should go well.

She glanced back at the computer monitor and felt a pang of guilt as she read Daniel's name in the email announcing his upcoming talk. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was almost 9 PM. She reached for the note he'd given her and she quickly dialed his number.

She didn't have much time to think when Daniel picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

She didn't know why, but his voice brought a warm comfort to her.

"Hi, Daniel, it's Sam," she said earnestly.

"Oh, hi, Sam," he answered kindly.

"Hey. I just got off the phone with Joe. I'm going out with him on Friday evening," she continued, the words tumbling from her lips.

There was a small pause. Sam didn't really know what to think, but she began to feel guilty about telling him. It made her wonder if she was putting him down somehow. She remembered how he acted that morning in the coffee shop, before she told him she hadn't made up her mind yet. He seemed to be … almost bothered about it, and it made her wonder how he felt about her.

"Oh," Daniel finally replied. His tone revealed that he was more than a little surprised by her revelation. "Well, that's … that's great, Sam." He tried to sound happy for her, but she was sure she could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Yeah," she replied. "I had a good conversation with him. I'm going to give him a chance. We're going to meet at –"

"Yeah, that's great, Sam," he cut her off quickly. "Listen, I'm in the middle of something _really_ important … ah, grading some papers for tomorrow. I have to go now."

Sam's smile faded and she frowned curiously as she picked up on the sudden change in Daniel's attitude.

"You do?" she asked, a touch incredulous. "I thought this morning you said that this would be a good time for me to call."

"Yeah, but that was this morning. A lot has changed between this morning and now," he spat out quickly, his tone a bit cold.

"Okay," she said, taken aback. "I'm sorry I bothered you."

She heard him sigh heavily. "No, it isn't your fault," he said, sounding slightly agitated. "I just got caught up in a lot of things. I'm already exhausted. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning, okay?"

Sam's frown faded. "Okay, coffee at 9, then?"

"Yeah, sure, sounds fine," he said briskly. "See you then."

"Great," Sam replied, trying to sound upbeat. Her efforts were for naught as she heard Daniel hang up the phone and the dial tone sounded in her ear.

Sam stared at the receiver incredulously for a moment before replacing it on the cradle. Her chest heaved as she took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daniel snorted as the alarm next to his bed rudely sounded in his ear. He swung an arm over the side of the bed and nearly pummeled his clock radio to death. After a bit of effort, he finally sat up, stretched his arms and slowly rose from the bed. He yawned loudly. There was no doubt about it – he was going to need some industrial strength coffee this morning. He hadn't slept much last night, but it wasn't due to grading exams like he'd told Sam. Rather, it was due to the fact that he spent most of the night agonizing over the current situation regarding her, Joe, and their own relationship.

Daniel blushed faintly as the word _relationship _penetrated his mind. Of course, he'd meant relationship in the general sense, meaning how they seemed to get along. Maybe _friendship _would have been a more appropriate word. Was it really appropriate to feel so strongly about her after they'd been friends for just over two weeks? Half of him believed that it was not, that perhaps he was going too fast and should back off until they'd known each other for a longer period of time. The other half believed that it was appropriate, and that the amount of time they'd been friends didn't make any difference.

The half that believed it was appropriate was winning out, and Daniel felt as if he'd been hit by a ton of bricks as he remembered his short conversation with Sam last night. He couldn't help thinking about how disappointed he felt when she told him that Joe wanted to take her out – and even more disappointed when she decided she would accept. Why should he feel this way? She was his friend, and he should be happy for her.

Right?

He tried to put these thoughts aside as he quickly showered, shaved, and blew his hair dry. As he combed it, he snorted, as it seemed to have a slight kink in it, causing it to slightly flip up and out about an inch below his left ear. He was clearly due for a little trim soon. In the meantime, he combed it the best he could, then slipped on a checkered blue shirt and a blue blazer.

He was about to leave and head for the coffee shop when he got outside his apartment and realized he'd left his briefcase behind. He sighed angrily as he unlocked the door and rushed back inside to reclaim it. His thoughts of Sam were weighing heavily on him, making him forget simple things and making him more careless than usual in the process.

He quickly checked his watch. 8:55. Damn, he was running later than usual, not only due to the fact that he was exhausted and found it hard to get himself going, but also because of his agonizing thoughts over the present situation. He drove as fast as he could down to the Java House without being in grave danger of earning a speeding ticket. Glad that the weather was holding up at least, he parked his car in the lot behind the coffee shop and made his way around to the entrance. As he made his way up to the door, he saw a familiar looking car parked next to the curb. Before entering, he put his hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn.

Oh, yes, he was really going to need some heavy-duty caffeine.

* * *

Sam opened up her medicine cabinet and popped an aspirin. She hadn't gotten much sleep either, her thoughts of her conversation with Joe – as well as her conversation with Daniel – eating away at her subconscious. They had kept her awake nearly the whole night, and earned her one hell of a headache. She half-heartedly hopped into the shower, hoping that the hot, streaming liquid massaging her temples and her neck, would offer some relief. It failed to do the trick.

As she dried off, dressed and put her makeup on, her thoughts kept flashing back to Daniel and the all-too-short conversation she'd had with him the night before. She recalled how his tone seemed to change drastically after she mentioned she was giving Joe a chance and going out with him. She had wondered if he had experienced some jealousy, and the more she thought about it, the more she thought it was possible. She wondered how much of his demeanor reflected jealousy, and how much of it reflected concern for her. At the moment, it sounded more like jealousy. It had begun to make her experience a twinge of guilt, and question once again whether she really was doing the right thing.

She put these thoughts on hold as she glanced up at the clock and realized it was ten minutes to 9. She gave herself another once over in the mirror, brushing her hair into place. She grabbed her briefcase and exited the house, making a fast beeline for her car. She couldn't remember the last time she was running so late.

As she made the drive to the Java House, she couldn't stop thinking about Daniel and the way he sounded last night. She was almost afraid to face him, especially of how he'd act or what he would say to her. She became so lost in her thoughts that she almost ran a red light. She stopped short, the front of her car sitting just over the line. She sighed heavily, a bit shaken by what had just happened. She realized how ridiculous she was acting, and that it was no big deal. _This is Daniel we're talking about, _she thought to herself. _I should have no reason to be afraid of him._

Her luck seemed to be holding out as she spotted a parking space right in front of the coffee shop.

* * *

Sam stirred her coffee half-heartedly as she waited for Daniel to arrive. She was taking it black today, so the stirring was done only out of nervousness. She knew that black coffee (let alone any coffee) probably wasn't a good idea due to the headache that still plagued her, but she didn't care. Right now, the fatigue was stronger than the headache, and she needed to be alert for the 8-hour day.

She slowly dropped the spoon as she spotted Daniel collecting his cup of coffee from the barista as well as some napkins. She felt a pang of guilt hit her as she took in his appearance. He looked very tired, even a bit unhappy – evident from the frown plastered on his face. As he approached her table, he tried to hide his feelings with a forced smile, but he wasn't fooling her at all.

As he took the seat across from her and tore the tab off of the lid on top of his coffee cup, she realized he was taking his coffee black as well. He took a quick swig and sighed as he placed it back down on the tabletop. He noticed she was staring at him uneasily, and he forced another smile.

"So …" he started with a mock eager tone.

Sam eyed him seriously for a moment. She knew what he was pulling, and knew how he really felt. He may have put on a happy face just for her as he approached, and tried to act as if nothing happened, but that first expression of his, coupled with the black coffee, revealed his true self.

"You're going out with Joe on Friday night, huh? That should be fun," he said unconvincingly, his flippant tone barely complimenting the fake smile plastered on his face.

Sam's looked at him incredulously as her brow knitted in confusion. She began to wonder if Daniel had doped himself up. He was hardly acting like himself at all.

Daniel's smile faded as he noticed she wasn't buying this. He realized how ridiculous he was acting. If he was worried about jeopardizing their friendship, this act would get him there one step closer. He sighed deeply and his eyes turned apologetic.

"Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you like that last night. I just had a lot on my mind."

Sam looked at him seriously. "Like what?" she asked in a small voice.

He raked a hand through his hair and swept it back from his face.

"I don't know. I … I'm just worried that you're not doing the right thing," he said uneasily. "I don't know how to explain it, but …"

She looked at him expectantly, half-thinking that she wasn't going to be happy with what he'd say next.

"Sam, are you sure you want to do this?" he blurted out, his blue eyes tinged with worry.

For a moment, her eyes met his and she looked like a lost little girl, rather than the usually more confident nearly-35-year-old woman he was used to seeing. He could see the multitude of uncertainties and hidden fears lurking behind her serious blue-gray eyes and the deep frown on her face. He quickly glanced down at her hands and realized that they were shaking a bit.

She could have looked him squarely in the eyes and told him, in an agitated voice, that she was unsure about what she was doing. Her eyes could have clouded over as they filled with tears. Her voice could have wavered as she admitted to him that she made a gross oversight of judgment. He could have held her hands in his own to stop them from trembling. He could have pulled her close to him and held her. He could have kissed away her tears until she learned that there was no reason to shed them any longer.

They both could have done all these things. But, they didn't.

Her eyes became hardened. Her expression remained unchanged. Her hands stopped shaking and curled up into small fists. She appeared as if she was trying to keep some overwhelming emotion inside. Perhaps it was because she didn't want to make a scene. Perhaps it was because she didn't want to break down in front of Daniel, that she wanted to maintain some dignity in front of him.

Or perhaps it was because she made up her mind and was not happy that Daniel was trying to change it.

"Daniel," she began tentatively.

He looked at her curiously.

"Daniel," she repeated sharply, her tone suddenly changing.

Daniel's brow wrinkled slightly in confusion.

"Please don't do this."

It was more of a statement than a plea.

"What?" he asked in an eerily quiet voice.

"I have a feeling that no matter what I say, it won't make a difference, so I doubt you'll understand this," she replied, the burden evident in her voice.

"Understand what?" he prodded.

She looked at him for a mere ten seconds before continuing.

"I have to take this chance."

Daniel felt something that was a cross between a pang of disappointment and a twinge of jealousy. Suddenly, he took a keen interest in his coffee cup and averted his eyes.

Sam noticed how uncomfortable he seemed, but she continued.

"You know how unlucky in love I am. I told you myself when we met for lunch that day. When an opportunity comes along, I have to seize it. If it means I finally have a chance at love and happiness, I can't let it pass me by," she said, emotionless.

"I just …" Daniel blurted out. He stopped himself and tried to compose his thoughts properly. His emotions were starting to become overwhelming, and he was trying to rein them in.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," he said solemnly as he looked straight into her eyes.

"See me get hurt?" she replied almost incredulously. "You actually think I would get hurt?"

She began nervously stirring at her coffee again, and the annoying scraping of plastic against Styrofoam began to aggravate Daniel.

"Would you please cut that out!" he suddenly exclaimed. He didn't quite shout, but he had raised his voice quite a bit and it surprised Sam. Her eyes widened.

"You don't need to stir the coffee when it's _black_, Sam," he continued, gritting his teeth in frustration. He sighed angrily and touched his right temple.

"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked after a beat. Her voice contained a touch of vehemence that surprised even herself. She didn't plan on sounding this angry, but she was completely taken aback by his behavior.

Daniel sharply looked up from his cup of coffee, his eyes aglow with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "What's wrong with _me_? What's wrong with _you_?" he challenged. "You have such profound reservations about this guy after he calls you at 1 AM, acts way too suspicious, and seems in a real hurry to get to meet you. Now you've gone to the other extreme and it's like you can't wait to meet him. It's as if you've forgiven him for all that, or simply chosen to overlook it."

Sam's eyes widened and she frowned as she took in Daniel's diatribe. He was far from finished, though.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Here I thought you had good judgment, but you're starting to prove me wrong."

Sam's expression hardened and her eyes narrowed slightly. "Excuse me, _Daniel_, but who the hell are you to say that I don't have good judgment?" she said, quiet but forceful.

A small sense of dread filled Daniel as he realized that he probably said too much. He bit it back when he decided that it was something that had to be said. Damn it, he cared for Sam too much to keep it bottled up. He had to let her know.

"Who am I?" he shot back, uttering a short, derisive laugh. "Well, up until now I thought I was your friend, trying to offer you advice. You told me you appreciated my advice when we were talking the other –"

"Well, I don't appreciate it now!" Sam suddenly shouted. She banged her fist down on the tabletop. Daniel's eyes widened and he flinched slightly.

She stared at him, open-mouthed and panting, her face a brilliant shade of red. For a moment she studied Daniel's face. She knew there were dozens of pairs of eyes on her from all over the coffee shop, but all she could see now was Daniel. She could see surprise reflected in his eyes, but the anger had drained away and was replaced by hurt.

She then realized what he was trying to do all along. He was showing how he cared for her. As her friend, he was truly concerned about her welfare and didn't want to see her get involved in a bad relationship. She uttered a soft groan, leaned her elbows on the tabletop and put her hands to her forehead.

Any anger Daniel had leftover from witnessing Sam's behavior had now evaporated. He looked at her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was blushing furiously, and a hundred different emotions seemed to dance across her face, but embarrassment, frustration, and sorrow were the strongest. He witnessed her lip start to tremble for a few moments before it passed. She looked like she wanted to run away and hide. Daniel waited patiently for her emotions to subside enough so that she could face him.

Finally, she cast a wary glance at him, her big, blue-gray eyes cloudy as tears threatened to fall. Once she caught the sad, sympathetic look reflected in his clear blue eyes, she suddenly directed her eyes back downward, as if she couldn't bear to look at them.

"Sam, please look at me," Daniel pleaded softly.

She slowly raised her head and looked back up at him. She bit her lip to prevent her tears from falling.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry, Daniel," she finally said, her voice slightly above a whisper.

Daniel's lips twitched slightly upward. "I know, Sam. I know," he said simply.

Sam opened her mouth as if she was about to say something more, but Daniel interrupted her.

"You want to do this because you're afraid you'll never have another chance at love, I know. But, you're wearing blinders, Sam. Just because you're no longer with that dating service, it doesn't mean that you won't find love. For all you know, it could have been right under your nose all this time, but you were too blind to see it."

Sam stared at Daniel and noticed he was blushing faintly. She wondered what he meant by saying that it could have been right under her nose all this time. Was he talking about himself? She wanted to consider it, but she just couldn't do so at the time. She suddenly glanced at her watch and realized that she had to get to her office and prepare for her lecture.

"Maybe you're right, Daniel," she said, not bothering to look at him. "But, I can't back out of it. And I can't think too much about this now. I have to prepare my lecture for this afternoon."

She glanced at Daniel briefly and noticed the slightly incredulous look he was giving her. He finally averted his eyes and nodded. She began to feel bad and blurted out, "I'll … I'll see you."

She made her way toward the door when Daniel suddenly stood up.

"Sam …" he said tentatively.

She turned back and looked at him curiously.

"I hope he treats you well."

Sam continued to look at him and emotion passed briefly across her face before she turned and made her way out of the coffee shop.

* * *

Daniel sighed heavily as he watched Sam leave and head toward her car. He sat back down and drank his coffee glumly. He couldn't believe that he'd just let her walk away. She'd just up and left, and didn't say anything about calling or seeing him again. Well, to be honest, she said she'd "see" him, but she didn't say when specifically. She might as well have just walked out of his life.

Somewhere deep within him was a little voice that started chastising him for being selfish. True, she was his friend, but the two of them weren't romantically involved at all, and he had no right to try to lay claim to her.

_I'm not laying claim to her; I care about her_, he admonished his inner voice. She was really taking chances with this guy, and he had failed in trying to stop her. He couldn't believe that she had been so unsure about him in the beginning, and had suddenly, without any explanation apart from "I want to give him a chance," decided that she'd go out with him.

He shook his head sadly. Why was he worrying so much? Quite possibly she'd find out that she didn't like him, and she'd made a mistake all along and decide not to see him anymore.

Or, he might sweep her off her feet and be a genuinely caring guy who can fulfill all her needs.

_I hope he treats you well, Sam … as well as I would have._

He took one last sip of coffee before rising from the table, depositing it in the trash and making his way outside.

* * *

The next two days came and went like brief blips on a radar screen. Sam didn't find herself terribly busy, apart from the usual preparations for lectures and labs, staff meetings, office hours, and meetings with grad students who had her on their advisory committees. She hadn't seen Daniel since Wednesday morning, the day when they had their little, for lack of a better word, scuffle. She avoided the Java House, suddenly finding it more convenient to partake of the coffee in the faculty lounge down the hall. She didn't stop to think for a moment that she might have been consciously trying to avoid Daniel.

Well, maybe she did, every now and then. At odd times she'd be sitting at her desk, staring into space and replaying the events in her mind. She wondered if she should entertain the possibility that Daniel had been referring to himself when he said that the love she was searching for might have been right under her nose. Whenever she thought she was getting too bogged down in it, she'd try to shake it from her mind and force herself to move on.

Ever since that fateful day, there had been a slight change in her disposition. If you'd said anything to her on the subject, she would have denied it to the death. But the change was obvious and everyone, from her fellow faculty members to her students, to even Phil, the friendly old janitor, had noticed it. They all figured something was up in her personal life, but they didn't dare question her about it. They quietly observed it and went about their business, treating her as they'd always done so.

By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, she was nearly a different person. She was undoubtedly preoccupied, but at the same time, she had a false air of cheerfulness about her. Everyone who encountered her saw right through it. They wondered if she had just had a bad relationship, or perhaps experienced the death of a close family member. The calm, sunny façade wasn't fooling anyone, including herself.

She left the university early that afternoon and was home by 4 PM. The only thing on her mind at the moment was her impending date with Joe. She really did want to give him a chance, and really wanted it to work out between them. A tiny voice inside of her would remind her not to get her hopes up, or she'd be setting herself up for a big letdown. She tried in earnest to silence it, and for the time being, it seemed to work.

She was just about to jump in the shower when the phone rang. Sam swore under her breath and threw her bathrobe on as she made her way to the phone.

"Hello," she said, annoyed.

"Hey Sam, what's going on? I haven't heard from you in a while."

She sighed as she recognized Sara's voice.

"Hey, sorry about that, I've just been really preoccupied the last few days," she said regrettably.

"With what?" Sara asked curiously.

"I have a date tonight," Sam blurted out as a wide grin spread across her face.

"No! Really?" Sara said excitedly.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed.

"With John?" Sara asked.

"No … his name is Joe," Sam said.

"Oh, that's right. So, where are you going?"

"I'm meeting him at O'Malley's at 6, and then he said we'd walk around afterwards," Sam replied.

"Sounds good," Sara said thoughtfully.

"Uh … yeah."

"You don't seem too thrilled," Sara said suspiciously as she picked up on the rather glum tone of Sam's voice.

"No, no, I am," Sam insisted quietly. "I just … I've just had a lot on my mind the past few days."

"Problems at work?" Sara offered.

"No," Sam replied as she swallowed hard. "I … I had a fight with Daniel." She felt a pang of guilt as she said those last words.

"What?" Sara asked after a beat.

"Well, not exactly a fight, more like a … an argument," Sam clarified, pain becoming evident in her voice.

"Aw, gee, I'm sorry, Sam," Sara said softly.

"He kept asking me if I was sure of what I was doing. It was as if he thought that dating Joe would be a mistake. He said that I had such reservations about him in the beginning, and now I've changed my tune and want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He actually began to question my judgment, Sara. Can you believe that?"

Sara paused. "Actually, I can."

"You can?" Sam said incredulously.

"You know what this is starting to sound like? It sounds like he really likes you. Maybe he's even a little jealous of this Joe."

"I thought it could be jealousy, but do you know what else he said?"

Sara remained silent.

"He said he didn't want to see me get hurt. His last words to me when I walked out of the coffee shop were, 'I hope he treats you well.'"

"Oh, Sam, don't you see? He really cares for you," Sara said sadly.

"Don't do this to me, Sara," Sam said after a pause, her voice rising dangerously.

"Don't do what?" the other woman asked curiously. "I'm just calling it as I see it. You'd have to be pretty blind not to realize that he really cares for you, Sam."

"That's what he said," Sam replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"What?"

"Well, okay, he didn't exactly come out and say that, but he said that I'm wearing blinders. He said that, just because I'm no longer with that dating service, it doesn't mean I won't find love. It might have been under my nose this whole time, but I was too blind to see it." Sam ended with a sniffle in an effort to drive back the tears that threatened to surface.

"There you go. He meant himself, Sam. He loved you this whole time, and you failed to notice it. You were looking desperately for someone to love you, and you didn't have to look at all."

Sam paused thoughtfully and felt like kicking her when she realized that Sara was absolutely right.

"Oh, God, I don't need this right now," she sniffled, trying to retain her composure.

"You know it's true," Sara prodded.

"I know, I know," Sam wailed. "But I don't know what I'm going to do about Joe. I can't break my date with him, it's too late."

"Then don't. Go out with him and have a good time," Sara said.

"Really?"

"Sure. It's only a date, Sam. It's not like you're going to marry him. You really should give him a chance."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What about all those things you just said about Daniel?"

"What about them?" Sara laughed gently. "You can date two guys at the same time, Sam; you know that. All I'm saying is, give Joe a chance, but don't forget about Daniel."

"What if I end up really liking Joe?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Then it's a decision you'll have to make," Sara said simply. "If it were me, though, I'd stick with Daniel. He really seems like a sweet guy. But, don't let me make the decision for you."

"You're no help at all," Sam said wryly.

Sara laughed good-naturedly. "Have a good time, Sam. Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Sam replied, uttering a soft laugh. "Bye, Sara."

Sam sighed deeply as she hung up the phone. She looked at her watch and realized it was a quarter to 5. She raced into the bathroom and took a quick shower. After drying off, she applied some light makeup and a touch of hairspray before making her way to her bedroom to pick out an outfit.

After her conversation with Sara, she decided she didn't want to dress to impress all that much. Earlier in the week, she'd picked out a little black dress with a lacy red trim. She picked it up by the hanger, stared at it and realized it was a bit too revealing, especially as far as the neckline was concerned. She abruptly placed it back in her closet and searched for something more suitable. She finally decided on a black dress with a red floral print that ended just above her knees. It had a somewhat higher neckline, and she decided to wear a black cardigan with three-quarter sleeves over it. She slipped her feet into a pair of black, moderately high heeled-shoes, sprayed herself with some light, floral scented perfume and grabbed her small, black purse.

She looked herself over one more time in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. Once she was satisfied that she looked presentable, she headed out into the hallway and toward the front door. Before she exited the house, she looked down once more at her watch. It was twenty minutes to 6. She went over everything in her mind to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She sighed as she found the picture of Joe sitting on her coffee table. She'd printed it out and decided she'd take it with her so she'd be able to recognize him if there was ever any doubt. She slipped it into her purse and finally made her way out to her car.

On the drive over to O'Malley's, she kept playing out different scenarios in her mind, in the hopes that the evening would go well and that Joe would turn out to be a decent guy. Those thoughts were suddenly penetrated by a replay of her conversation with Sara. She began to feel a little guilty when she remembered what Sara had said about Daniel – that it seemed as if he really cared for her, and about what a wonderful guy he seemed to be.

She shrugged herself out of it as she found a parking spot close to O'Malley's in the huge parking lot that dissected the somewhat large shopping complex. On the left of O'Malley's was a bed and bath store, followed by an outlet store for women's clothing, a large chain bookstore, a Chinese buffet, and a bowling alley. On the opposite side of the large parking lot were a sporting goods store, a shoe store, and a department store among others.

Sam looked around to get her bearings, should the evening end up disastrous. Her eyes widened upon that last thought, and she grinned and shook her head.

_What the hell am I worried about?_ She said to herself as she made her way up to the entrance of the restaurant.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N: The instructions Joe gives Sam while they're bowling come from the Bowling Terms & Tips website (url won't work here, please do a web search for the title if you're interested).

The strains of rock and roll music greeted Sam as she entered O'Malley's. As she stood in the small vestibule, she looked around curiously to see if her date had arrived yet. Upon finding no one save a girl in her early twenties sitting on an overstuffed chair, she sighed.

"Hi, can I help you?" a girl standing behind a podium smiled.

"Hmm? Oh, uh … I'm just waiting for someone," Sam replied sheepishly.

"Okay," the girl nodded.

Sam smiled and made her way to one of the other overstuffed chairs. It felt soft and comfortable as she sat down. She glanced down at her watch and noticed it was about ten minutes to 6. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized it had only taken about ten minutes to get there. She hadn't exactly raced down there, but she didn't expect to arrive so early. She considered killing some time in the bookstore a bit further down, but in the end decided she'd stay put.

She glanced around every so often; especially when she heard the doors swing open. U2's "Everlasting Love" began playing over the speakers, and Sam unconsciously began to hum along to it. Her humming soon faded as she listened to each of the lyrics, and her face reddened slightly. For some reason, they seemed to remind her very much of Daniel. Her throat suddenly felt quite parched and she swallowed hard.

Suddenly, she shrugged herself out of it. Why should she agonize over Daniel right now? She was here to have fun, not to be glum and dwell on things. She sighed as she glanced at her watch again. It was 5:54 PM.

She was about to head for the Ladies room and do some last minute primping when she heard the doors swing open again, and saw a man enter. She couldn't quite recognize him due to the fact that he was quite a distance away, and was nearly a silhouette against the door where bright sunshine was streaming in, in contrast to the darkened atmosphere of the vestibule area. She quickly unzipped her purse and reached for the photo of Joe.

She frowned slightly and her brow furrowed in confusion as she noticed that the man remained in front of the doors, and was now chatting animatedly on his cell phone. There was a bounce in his loose gait as he paced in front of the doors, totally engrossed in his conversation. Sam shrugged and realized that this couldn't have been her date.

She was about to place the photo back in her purse when the man suddenly ended his call and made his way in her direction. As he drew closer, she could finally make out his features in the more well-lit area in which she was sitting. She shoved the picture back inside her purse and zipped it as she recognized him. He stopped as he was standing directly in front of her and grinned.

"Sam?" he asked.

A slightly reddish hue appeared in Sam's cheeks. "Uh … yeah," she confirmed as she stood up.

"Joe," he smiled as he proffered his hand to her. She smiled back and shook his hand, feeling just a bit repulsed at how clammy it was.

"Nice to meet you," she said softly.

"Likewise," he replied as he gave her a brilliant smile.

Sam took a moment to look him over. He was definitely taller than he seemed in the profile. He had a large, athletic build, although it was a bit hard to tell from the way he was dressed. He wore a vertically striped blue and white buttoned shirt, which hung outside of a pair of loose fitting jeans. Sam wondered if this was how he normally dressed for dates. His nose, which was quite prominent, was the feature that helped her recognize him. The smile was one that seemed very disarming in nature, but not all that genuine. She began to wonder if her initial impression of his smile was correct – that he thought he was God's gift to women. She carelessly let a small snicker escape her lips.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing," she said, blushing slightly and covering her amusement with a small cough.

"Sorry about that, I was just checking my phone messages and I got a call from my supervisor," he said with a touch of regret.

"I thought you were a manager," Sam said curiously.

"Yeah, I'm a regional manager," he confirmed. "But I still report to people. I don't think I could deal with being the actual head manager of a company like this!" he laughed.

"I can imagine," Sam laughed nervously.

He laughed and gave her another winning smile. "So, wanna go eat?" he suddenly asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, yeah, sure," she nodded. She looked back down at his cell phone. "Uh, look, if you're busy tonight, we –"

"Oh, no!" he insisted. "I'm gonna leave this thing on mute the whole time. I told them I was going to be busy tonight. If they call and don't get me, that's their problem."

Sam nodded and as Joe looked away, she furrowed her brow in confusion. _He told them he's going to be "busy" tonight?_

"Okay, let's get something to eat," he repeated. Sam nodded and walked over with him to the podium where the hostess was standing.

"Two for dinner?" she asked brightly.

"Yeah," Joe replied.

"Right this way," she smiled as she grabbed two menus and led them to a booth set far back from the bar area.

Sam looked at Joe as he opened up his menu and began to scan the contents. As his glance edged upward, she suddenly directed her eyes down to her menu.

"So, what should we get?" he blurted out, breaking the brief silence.

Sam found the statement to be a bit odd, but she merely shook her head.

"I think I'm going to get the fish and chips basket," she finally replied. "That sounds pretty good."

"Yeah, that sounds good to me," he agreed.

Sam gave him an odd look.

"I haven't been to this place in a while, but fish and chips sound good."

Sam shrugged slightly and went back to the menu.

Finally, the waiter came and took their orders: two fish and chips, a diet soda for Joe and an iced tea for Sam.

"So, you were telling me that you teach?" Joe asked once the waiter had left. "Which subject do you teach again?"

"Astrophysics," Sam replied. "I'm an assistant professor."

"At UCCS, right?" Joe interrupted.

Sam seemed a bit annoyed at his interruption, but she nodded. "Yeah. I was an adjunct professor at George Washington University before I came here."

"Oh yeah, I remember you said you lived in D.C., didn't you?"

Sam nodded. "My dad still lives over there, and my brother lives in Friendship Heights, Maryland."

"Oh, right, dad the congressman," Joe smirked.

"No, he's a General in the Air Force," Sam said in a slightly incredulous tone.

"Oh, that's right, sorry."

Sam nodded.

"My family – most of them, anyway – lives in Pueblo. I have three brothers and one sister. They're all married except for me. I'm thinking I better get married quickly before they have something to say about it!" he said jokingly.

Sam nearly choked on her iced tea after his last sentence.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked with a grin.

Sam caught her breath and nodded.

* * *

Most of the conversation leading up to their dinner arriving went well, with the two of them discussing their jobs and their families for the most part. 

"I hope you don't mind if I put you on the spot," Joe suddenly blurted out between bites of fish.

Sam looked at him expectantly.

He waited until he swallowed his food before continuing. "What do you think so far?" he grinned widely.

Sam raised an eyebrow curiously. "About …?"

"About this evening?" he elaborated.

Sam shrugged slightly and raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. "It's a nice evening … so far, anyway," she said truthfully.

"What do you think about me?" he continued, flashing the thousand-watt smile at her once again.

Sam stopped herself from rolling her eyes and then smirked faintly. "You seem like a nice guy, but I really can't say honestly what I think of you or how the evening is going until later on. I mean, it's only a quarter to 7 …"

"Okay, I'll ask you later, then," Joe said playfully.

Sam forced a smile and nodded. She admitted to herself that a few of the things Joe said made her feel a bit awkward, but she decided she would give him the benefit of the doubt and see how the evening progresses.

"Well, I'm done," Joe sighed dramatically.

Sam looked at him curiously, as he'd eaten only about half of the fish and chips. It certainly wasn't a big portion, and Sam had finished hers.

"I eat like a bird," he clarified.

"Ah," Sam said quietly as she nodded.

The waiter came back and took their plates after Joe requested to have his wrapped to take home. When he came back with the check, Sam immediately reached for her purse so she could pay her share.

"Nah, I got it," Joe said nonchalantly.

"Oh," Sam said, a bit surprised. "Well, uh … thanks."

Joe grinned at her as the waiter accepted the money from him. "I hope you don't mind if I put you on the spot again."

Sam looked at him curiously. _Now what?_ She thought.

"There's a bowling alley right down here. It's still early, want to play a few games?"

Sam's cheeks flushed. "Oh, uh, no thanks. I … I stink at bowling," she replied, laughing sheepishly.

Joe grinned and shook his head. "Hey, don't worry about it. I haven't bowled in ages, so I stink too. And, besides, what else is there to do around here?"

A thought occurred to Sam. "The bookstore is over here. They have a little coffee shop if you want to get coffee and some dessert –"

"Nah. Those places really aren't my speed," he said dismissively. "Come on, let's bowl. Don't be a party pooper!" he joked.

Sam rolled her eyes and grinned. "Okay, but I stink. Gutter balls are my forte."

"Don't worry about it," he said as they eased out of the booth. As she walked past him, he patted her back. Sam flinched slightly, as it was something she was not expecting in the least.

As they made their way out of O'Malley's and walked over toward the Springs Lanes bowling alley, Sam sighed. She looked over at Joe and began to reassess her opinion of him. Perhaps she was wrong all along. Perhaps her first impression of him and Daniel's impression were correct. Perhaps she was making a mistake.

_Shut up_, she admonished her inner voice. The evening wasn't over yet, and maybe Joe would redeem himself – not that she thought he really needed to. But, maybe more of his true nature would be revealed, and Sam wouldn't feel as awkward as she did now.

* * *

"Damn," Sam exclaimed as she watched her ball veer off to the left of the lane and land in the gutter with a thud. 

She made her way back to the table where Joe was sitting and laughed nervously. They were almost halfway through the game, and she was trailing way behind. Her first ball had been a good one, but after that, it seemed to be just luck if she knocked a few pins down. Sam hadn't been bowling in more than 8 years, and it certainly showed, although she wasn't a very good bowler to begin with.

"See?" she said grimly.

Joe grinned and shook his head at her. "It's all in your stance and your follow-through. Here, let me show you," he began as Sam's ball came back up. He motioned for her to pick it up again, and he took hold of her to guide her to the lane. Sam looked at him awkwardly, finding the position she was in slightly uncomfortable.

"You have to remember to keep a relaxed grip on the ball. Don't squeeze your fingers," he said as he held Sam's ball up from the bottom with one hand, and tried to fix the fingers inserted into her ball with the other hand. Sam winced slightly.

"Now, you swing the ball from your shoulder, and use the weight of the ball," he continued, taking hold of her right arm and swinging it back to show her.

"Huh? The weight of the ball?" she said, confused as she furrowed her brow. For a moment she thought she couldn't hear him, as the background noise was quite loud, mostly from 80s music blaring from the speakers.

Joe laughed. "I mean, you want to have a long, loose arm swing, so you have to use the weight of the ball, and keep your fingers relaxed."

"That's kind of hard to do when the holes are so big and the ball is so heavy," she replied.

Joe shrugged. "I don't know why they don't have any smaller balls. What size is that ball, anyway?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but he interrupted her incredulously. "A six? This ball is a six and it's too heavy for you?"

"Yes, it is! Why is that so hard to believe?" she laughed.

"You must really be a weakling. Don't you exercise at all?" he joked.

Sam glared at him briefly and he realized he made a mistake.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just surprised that that ball is too big for you."

"It's okay," she said half-heartedly, still sounding annoyed.

"Well, getting back to what I was saying … make sure that your arm swing and your elbow are close to the side of your body – like this," he said as he positioned her arm with one hand and put the other hand around her shoulder. Sam looked down at her shoulder uneasily.

"Are you paying attention?" he asked.

She looked back at her right arm and nodded.

"Okay, so make sure it's close to your body. Try to picture your elbow being as close to your side as possible the whole time you're swinging."

"O … kay," Sam said awkwardly as she copied the movements he made with her arm.

"Now, on your approach, you have to use your lower body on the last step to give you some balance. Watch me," he began.

Sam watched him with minimal interest. She wasn't exactly having much of a good time anymore, as the game had turned into a bowling lesson. She realized Joe was only trying to help, but she wasn't planning on bowling again anytime soon, so she found his instructions pretty much useless.

"See, you need to bend your knees and just slide into it," he continued, holding out the word "slide." "And then you sort of stretch your right leg out to the left side of your body. See?"

Sam nodded.

"Okay, now try it," he coaxed as he gave her an encouraging pat on the back.

Sam nodded and tried to reproduce the actions he showed her. A small smile crept across her face as she managed to knock down six pins.

"See? I told you it would work!" Joe said jubilantly as she made her way back to the table. "All you have to do is just think before you follow through – think about how you want to be positioned in order to get the ball to go where you want it to!" He threw his arm around her and began to rub her back in circles.

Sam coughed quietly, clearly not used to the constant displays of affection. She could no longer wait for the game to end, and looked desperately up at the computerized scoreboard to see how many frames they had left. Hopefully the game would be over soon.

* * *

Daniel sighed heavily as he made his way to the checkout line inside the bookstore. After an early dinner, he decided to head over there to look around and get a cup of coffee in the little café inside. It wasn't quite as good as the coffee from the Java House, but it was pretty decent. 

He heard "Missing" by Everything But The Girl playing out of the speakers, and his mind started to wander. For some reason, the lyrics made him think of Sam, and he wondered if she'd "found some better place" with Joe. He thought back to himself sitting alone in the café at a table for two near one of the windows. He thought back to the last time he saw Sam two days ago, and what had taken place then. If only he'd kept his big mouth shut and refrained from making it clear that he was questioning her judgment, maybe he would have been sitting there with Sam.

_Oh, sure, what good would that have done? She would have went out with him tonight anyway_, he thought to himself. _Forget it, Daniel; she's gone. _

_Just hope that he treats her well._

He was brought abruptly out of his agonizing thoughts when the cashier at the far end of the checkout counter called out, "Can I help the next person?"

Clarity filled Daniel's eyes as he shrugged himself out of it and made his way up to the cashier.

"How are you doing?" she asked, smiling genially.

"Ah, not bad, thanks," he fibbed, forcing a little smile.

The girl smiled back, and Daniel swallowed hard as he briefly took in her appearance. With her blue-gray eyes, fair skin and blonde hair, she greatly resembled Sam. If it weren't for the fact that she didn't look a day over twenty, and her long hair was pulled up in a bun, she might have actually been mistaken for the woman whom he'd befriended. Actually, he began to wonder if this was what Sam looked like when she was younger.

Daniel shook his head slightly in an attempt to clear his mind of these heavy thoughts as she handed a plastic bag containing a book about the Boundary Stelae of Akhenaten to him. He nodded, smiled and thanked the girl as he walked away from the counter and toward the doors.

As he exited, he began thinking again about the girl's remarkable resemblance to Sam. He sighed and wished he could try to forget about her. A part of him hoped that her date would end up a disaster so that she could see the error of her ways and realize that Joe wasn't the one for her. He couldn't believe he'd be that selfish. She was his friend – at least he thought she was – and she deserved to be happy.

As he was about to step off the curb and head in the direction of his car, the sound of a woman laughing stopped him in his tracks.

The object of his thoughts was right there in front of him with another man, presumably Joe, and laughing gaily. Daniel's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He seemed to be doing a good impression of a fish. As he realized he had been staring, he abruptly shut his mouth and blushed furiously. They appeared to be coming from the direction of the bowling alley one store over, and were heading towards the left – virtually in Daniel's direction.

He quickly turned his back and made his way over to his car. He couldn't let them see him. He had made a trip to the bookstore without any knowledge of where she was going on her date, but if they'd run into him, it might appear as though he was stalking them, and she'd hate him even more. Luckily there was a large pickup truck parked next to his blue Pontiac sedan, shielding him from their view. As he entered the car, he gazed out the windshield and watched as they continued walking down toward O'Malley's.

He folded his arms on top of the steering wheel and put his head down. When he first saw them, Sam's face was lit up and she was laughing, presumably at something Joe had said. She really seemed to be enjoying herself, and it only disappointed Daniel further. He was totally at odds with his feelings once again. On one hand, he couldn't believe he was being so selfish as to wish that she wasn't enjoying herself; but on the other hand, he thought this guy sounded like a jerk and he cared for Sam so much that he didn't want to see her get hurt.

It was then that he began to wonder if he cared too much. This is what happens to people who care too much – they only end up getting hurt. For a moment he was aware of how irrational that may have sounded, but he didn't care; it was how he was feeling right now. Maybe he did care about her too much. Sam was a big girl who could take care of herself. She didn't need him to watch out for her like her big brother, even though he was actually a few years younger than her.

But, he couldn't let it go. Something was holding him back. Could it be that his feelings for her were so strong, that he really thought of their friendship as something so valuable that it could not be broken? He had to admit to himself that what they had was something very unique. They hadn't known each other for very long and their friendship was so strong, it was as if they'd known each other for years. It would be a mistake to let go of something so treasured.

He hoped she felt the same way.

He lifted his head and looked out the window once more. He could no longer see Sam and her date, so he assumed that they already left or had gone somewhere else. He sighed, turned the ignition on and backed out of his space.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A/N: I had to remove some song lyrics in order to post this here. If you'd like to read the version with the song lyrics, please see the fic on my "sciencetwins" site.

"That was horrible!" Sam exclaimed as she and Joe exited the bowling alley and began walking in the direction of O'Malley's.

"No, you didn't do too badly!" Joe insisted, grinning as he held Sam's arm and they stepped off of the curb.

"Whatever," she conceded. "I do stink at bowling, though."

"Yeah, well, don't you worry, I'm going to teach you and teach you until you become a pro! Mark my words!" he joked.

Sam wanted to sigh miserably when she heard that, but in the end she just forced a laugh.

"I'm serious!"

Sam shook her head and forced another laugh, blushing madly. They'd just passed the bookstore when she stopped in her tracks.

"What?" Joe asked, looking at her curiously.

"I thought I heard something," she said tentatively.

Joe shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, it almost felt like we were being watched," she continued.

"I don't know what you're talking about, there's no one really around here," Joe said, gesturing around with his arms.

The feeling passed Sam and she simply shrugged her shoulders before they continued walking.

"Where are you parked?" he asked once they'd gotten near O'Malley's.

"Um, over there," Sam replied as she pointed toward the fourth row of parking spaces set back from the restaurant. "I'm the teal green Ford Taurus."

"Ah, nice," Joe remarked. "I'm parked over here, the black Honda Civic," he said as he gestured to the third row of spaces.

Sam nodded.

"So … uh …" he began as he looked around once more. "Why don't we sit down for a while and talk?"

Sam's face nearly blanched as she noticed he was pointing to his car. She wondered if he was hoping to make out with her.

"Um, you know, it's getting late," she said nervously as she glanced down at her watch. She felt stupid when she realized it was only about 8:30.

"It's 8:30!" Joe laughed incredulously. "And it's a Friday night! What's the matter, do you have to be somewhere early tomorrow?"

Sam frowned at his question. The way he had phrased it, coupled with the tone of his voice made it sound like he was belittling her.

"Um … no …" she trailed off awkwardly.

"Then let's sit and talk for a while!" he insisted, grinning once again. "The evening is still young, right?"

"Yeah," she finally nodded, forcing a little smile.

Joe gave her another brilliant smile as he unlocked the door and opened the passenger side for her. Sam entered and wrinkled her nose slightly. The smell of the interior was an interesting mix of cigar smoke, rug shampoo, and raspberry. She looked up and saw one of those tree-shaped air fresheners hanging from his rear view mirror. As she shifted her legs in an attempt to get more comfortable, she heard a slight tinny sound. She looked down at her feet and found an empty, slightly dented beer can tossed on the floor.

_Oh, boy_, she thought. She hoped all Joe wanted to do was talk. She took out her car keys and held them at the ready, just in case.

"I didn't know you smoked," she blurted out to him as he entered the car.

"Oh, uh … I've been trying to quit, but it's harder than I thought," he laughed nervously.

Sam forced a smile and nodded. "Cigar aficionado, I take it?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"I have a pretty strong sense of smell," she said dryly.

Joe's face cracked open in a wide grin, and Sam blushed madly.

"Well, let's get some music on in here, shall we?" he said as he stuck his key in the ignition and turned it slightly so that the radio was operable. Sam shrugged as he hit one of the preset stations, which turned out to be a modern rock station.

Sam looked around uneasily as she noticed Joe fumbling inside the glove compartment. He finally removed a package of chewing gum, opened it up, and popped a piece in his mouth.

"Here, want one?" he asked, holding a piece out for her.

"Uh … sure," she replied, dumbly accepting it from him. She didn't really want a piece, but she was so nervous that she suddenly felt like chewing something.

As she began to chew the piece of peppermint gum, she heard No Doubt's "Don't Speak" blaring from the speakers and she winced.

"Um, c-can you lower that a little?" she stammered.

"What, you think it's too loud?" he asked, a touch incredulous.

"Well, yeah," she said uneasily.

Joe shrugged. "Okay, then." He lowered the volume a notch, and while it was a bit better, it was still on the loud side.

After he adjusted the volume on the radio, he leaned back in his seat, looked over at Sam and grinned, chewing his gum the entire time.

Sam looked at him at first and smiled politely. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as the lyrics to "Don't Speak" pierced the silence between them. Suddenly she thought back to Daniel and what had occurred the last time she saw him. She began to wonder once again if he was right and she was making a mistake.

"Are you okay?" Joe suddenly asked her.

Sam shook herself out of her glazed stare as she tried to shove thoughts of Daniel away for the time being.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said unconvincingly.

Joe smiled at her again.

"I have to tell you, I had a very nice time tonight," he said. She thought he sounded sincere, but wasn't quite sure.

Sam nodded and gave him a half smile. "Thanks, so did I."

Joe smiled broadly and nodded. "So, I hope you can handle this; I'm going to put you on the spot again."

A tiny fear welled up deep within her. "Okay," she said quietly.

"So, what do you think of this evening? Did you have a nice time? I mean, really?" he grinned expectantly.

"Uh … sure. Sure, I did," she nodded.

Joe's grin grew wider upon hearing this. "And, what did you think of me? Am I what you hoped for, or what you expected?"

Sam blushed faintly. "Um … yeah," she said awkwardly. She noticed him searching her face and she smiled shyly. "Yeah," she confirmed.

"Great!" he said happily. "I think you're a sweet, lovely, very beautiful woman," he gushed. "You're much better looking than your picture!"

Sam didn't know whether to accept that as a compliment or not. She merely nodded and muttered a weak "thanks."

"Okay, time to put you on the spot again," he said eagerly. "What are you going to tell your parents about me?"

Sam gave him an odd look and raised an eyebrow. "My parents?" she repeated incredulously. She wondered if this was a line he used on all of his dates.

"Yeah, I know you said your dad is far away, but you talk to him on the phone. I'm sure your mom must live closer, right?"

Sam gave him a hard stare. "My mom died 25 years ago," she said in a quiet, incredulous voice.

Joe suddenly stopped chewing his gum, blushed deeply and covered his mouth with one hand. "Oh, oops, I forgot you told me that. Sorry," he said regrettably.

"It's okay," she replied half-heartedly.

"But you said you talk to your dad on the phone," he continued, recovering. "What are you going to tell him about me?"

Joe's goofy smile was beginning to annoy Sam, and for a brief moment she felt like slapping him across the face. She was still in the car, though, and the doors were locked, so she changed her mind.

_I'm going to tell him that you were a pain in the ass all night with your ridiculous questions_, she thought to herself.

"I'm going to tell him that I met a nice guy and had a nice time with him," she said instead. Joe's smile grew wider, if such a thing was possible.

"So, is it okay if we go out again? Would you mind that?" he inquired.

Sam looked at him almost like a deer in headlights as he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. The close contact was something she hadn't experienced in quite a while, and she seemed to lose the ability to reason as she nodded slowly.

Joe looked down at her with a toothy grin. "That would be great. Would Sunday be okay?"

"Uh … S-Sunday?" she suddenly stammered as she struggled to get the rational side of her brain to regain control.

"Yeah," he replied. "If we're going to go out, it can't be a one-shot deal, or something where we go out tonight and then don't see each other for two weeks!" he chuckled.

Sam shrugged slightly. "I have to see if I'm doing anything," she replied, her voice suddenly sounding as if it didn't belong to her.

"Okay, I'll call you on Saturday, then," he said, still with his arm around her and patting her on the shoulder. "And maybe I can meet your dad."

She raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"I'd like to meet him eventually, you know," he continued.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure," she nodded. "Actually, he should be getting some leave soon, so he's supposed to come out for a visit."

"Great, I'd love to meet him then!" Joe exclaimed.

Sam smiled and nodded.

"Now, can I ask you something else?" he suddenly blurted out as his face moved very close to hers.

The tiny fear reminded Sam of its presence and she swallowed hard. "Okay."

"Would you mind if I kissed you?"

Sam's jaw dropped, earning an affectionate chuckle from Joe.

"I … um …" she cleared her throat nervously. "What exactly do you mean by 'kissed'?"

_What difference does it make? Sam, you know he's not right for you. Stop kidding yourself and take control of the situation. _

"Oh, just a small, tender kiss – not something where I'd stick my tongue down your throat!" he joked.

"I … uh …" Sam stammered.

Before she could answer, Joe edged up to her and held her face in his hands as his lips formed a tight seal against her own.

_Okay, it's time to put the brakes on. _

Sam felt helpless as Joe enveloped her in a tender, but wet, kiss. She could feel his tongue up against the inside of her lips, searching and almost asking permission to shove itself deeper inside. Sam heard herself utter a soft groan. It wasn't the result of pleasure, but of regret, as she realized that she didn't like where this was going.

She was about to break the contact between them when Joe saved her the trouble. He must have heard the groan and thought she needed to come up for air. His lips parted from hers, and she stared up at him, wide-eyed. As she looked at him, she realized that she didn't find him attractive at all, and that she'd been kidding herself nearly the whole evening. She knew this was wrong and that she had to put a stop to it.

She was about to tell him she had to get going when he suddenly grabbed her by the arms and pinned her up against the seat as he began to kiss her hard. Her eyes became as wide as saucers as she felt his tongue go deep inside her mouth. She was almost afraid that she'd choke on it.

_Sam, don't let him do this._

She tried to resist, to break free, but he was amazingly strong and had her pinned against the seat. On top of that, the doors were locked and she couldn't reach the button to unlock her door. He began snaking his fingers through her hair as he continued to kiss her.

Sam's face drained of color as she realized his hands were traveling down her body from the back of her head to her shoulders and around to her chest. She realized what he was about to do as he started caressing and fondling her breasts. She should have been aroused by the action, but she was utterly disgusted when her eyes met Joe's and she saw the insatiable hunger in them.

_Sam, what are you doing? You can stop this! Don't let him get away with it!_

She wanted to stop him, as she was afraid of where this would lead, but she found herself utterly helpless. It was as if he had total control over her, and there was no room for compromise. Joe had succeeded in getting her black cardigan off halfway, and was trying to find some way to pull the top of her dress down when she let out a quick, sharp gasp, and he realized he still had her in a lip lock.

He finally pulled away from her and looked soulfully into her eyes. He looked as though his hunger hadn't been completely satisfied, and as though he wanted much more from Sam before they parted ways. She panted and stared at him, looking utterly lost and frightened.

He was about to grab her again when she suddenly looked down at her watch and realized it was almost 9 PM.

"I really have to go," she said in an agitated voice as she tried to catch her breath.

"Oh, okay," Joe said, a bit dazed. "So, I'll see you Sunday, then? I think it's supposed to be a very nice day."

"I have to see what I'm doing," Sam replied, choking a bit as she tried to hold back tears. What was she doing? She should be giving him hell for what he just tried to do to her. More importantly, she should have told him in the beginning that she liked taking things slow. It was like her mind wasn't functioning like the well-oiled machine it normally was.

"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow. Oh, and give me a call when you get home so I know you got home safely, okay?"

Sam nodded quickly as she unlocked the door, grabbed her purse and moved to get up. As she was about to exit the car, John tried to pull her in for another kiss.

"I'll call you," she said instead as she moved quickly away from him and stepped out.

Joe nodded, grinned widely and waved to her as she walked quickly over to her own car.

* * *

Sam panted madly as she entered her car and sat down. She checked herself out in the rear view mirror and saw what a mess she looked like. Her hair was disheveled, thanks to Joe running his fingers through it and playing with it, and her lipstick was a complete mess. Her face had regained its color and was now a very bright shade of red as she thought back to what he'd done to her.

She watched Joe drive away and her lip began to tremble. She leaned up against the steering wheel and began to cry softly. She didn't know whether she was more hurt by him taking advantage of her, or more embarrassed and angry with herself for not having the will to stop him.

… Or more embarrassed and angry with herself for refusing to believe that Daniel had been right all along; she had made a mistake.

"But, how was I to know that he'd pull something like this?" she cried out to the empty car.

She should have known when he contacted her long after she'd un-subscribed from the dating service, with the excuse that he liked her profile and saved it to his computer because he was too busy at the moment to contact her. She should have known when he made that first phone call to her after 1 AM. She should have known when he told her that most of his relationships didn't last longer than three months. She should have known when he said he had dated girls in their teens who didn't have their priorities straight.

And, she especially should have known when he told her that all of his siblings were married, and that he should get married in a hurry so that they don't torment him about it. True, he was joking, but it was quite possible that there was some truth to it.

Sam felt disgusted with herself, as if she just sat back and let him use her. She had the power to stop this, but she acted as though she was completely helpless. There were so many things she could have done to make him stop, but she'd conveniently forgot about them as he forced himself on her.

A shaky sob escaped her throat as she put her head down across her folded arms. She would have thought she was making too big a deal over this, but none of the men she'd dated had been quite as bold as Joe. He hadn't gone all the way with her, granted, but if she'd stayed in the car any longer, who knows what he would have done. Even though she hadn't had much dating experience, at least as much experience as most women her age, she always believed in taking things slow. Perhaps she was old-fashioned, but she was never crazy about kissing on the first date. A kiss on the cheek might be okay, but not a full-blown "insert-tongue-here" type of kiss like the one Joe had forced on her. She could have told Joe that he was moving too fast, but he had total control over her and it had taken away her ability to think sensibly.

She lifted her head and looked at her reflection once more, frowning as she realized what a mess she looked like. She also noticed how late it had grown, so she sniffled in an attempt to compose herself and started up her car.

* * *

Even though she was still quite upset and shaken, Sam managed to get home in one piece. Almost as soon as she got in the door, she jumped into the shower. Joe had worn some strong, musky-scented cologne, and as he'd been all over her, she felt that she needed to get rid of his scent. In addition, she rinsed her mouth out with Listerine, and felt nauseated as she thought back to that wet, overbearing kiss of his.

After she felt suitably hygienic, she made her way into the kitchen and over to the phone. There was one person she just had to call …

"Hello, this is Daniel Jackson. I am unable to take your call at this time, so please leave your name, number and a brief message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you."

Sam struggled to retain her composure as she waited for the sound of the beep to give her a cue.

"Uh … Hi, Daniel? It's Sam," she began tentatively, her voice wavering slightly. "I guess you don't want to talk to me right now, but I really need to talk to you. I've had a really bad night and I need a friend to talk to. I guess …"

She glanced up at the clock before continuing, and realized it was near 10 pm. She didn't think Daniel would be out at this hour, and she didn't think he'd already be asleep. Her heart began to sink as she wondered if he might have been aware of her call and heard her voice on his answering machine, but was just too upset with her to talk. She didn't want to entertain that possibility, but with the way things were between them right now, she certainly couldn't rule it out.

" … I guess you're not around right now. But, if you are, please pick up. I really need to talk to you."

Daniel didn't pick up the phone.

"Okay," Sam continued, her voice trembling even more as she was finally losing the grip on her composure. "I'm going to be at the Java House tomorrow morning for coffee. You probably won't be there, but … I'm really going to need the coffee. Take care, bye."

As Sam hung up the phone, the dam suddenly broke loose completely. The pent up tension finally spilled forth as she sobbed with all her heart. She threw herself on her couch and buried her face in one of the throw pillows. She'd just had one of the worst nights she'd ever experienced, and now Daniel was refusing to talk to her. She sorely needed to talk to a good friend right now, and he was making himself unavailable. She felt so alone.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Sam abruptly stopped crying, straightened up and headed back over to the kitchen. Maybe Daniel had heard the message, felt bad and decided he just couldn't ignore her. A little ray of hope began to fill her heart as she picked the phone up.

"Hello," she said, clearing her throat.

"I thought you were going to call me!"

The ray of hope was extinguished quickly as she recognized Joe's voice.

"Oh, I got into some heavy traffic," she lied.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I just got home not long ago and I said to myself, 'wasn't she supposed to call me?'" Joe laughed slightly.

Sam remained silent and frowned deeply. She began to realize that she not only hated him, but she even hated his voice.

"So, I was just making sure you got home safe."

"Well, obviously," she muttered dryly.

"What's that?"

"I said, 'well, yeah.'"

"Oh. Well, I'll call you tomorrow. Nighty-night, beautiful!"

Sam rolled her eyes and hung up the phone without returning his greeting. She really had to discipline herself so that she wouldn't end up screaming at him – screaming at him that how dare he force himself on her in such a manner. He probably would have given her the "you-didn't-object-to-it" excuse, though, so it probably would have been for nothing anyway.

Sam usually would have settled into bed and fell asleep watching TV by now, but she didn't feel like going to bed yet. She put on some coffee and dug a pint of butter pecan ice cream out of her freezer. Fattening or not, she didn't care. She couldn't sleep and she needed to drink and eat.

And talk.

How she wished that Daniel was still talking to her. Some emotion passed over her face as she thought of him, but it dispelled when she realized that he wasn't the only one she could talk to.

She picked up the phone and fervently dialed Sara's number.


	11. Chapter 11 Reconciliation

Chapter 11

Sam talked to Sara for nearly an hour. At first she felt bad about calling her so late, but luckily she and her husband were still up, watching TV. She really needed someone friendly to talk to, and Daniel was either not around, or was deliberately refusing to talk to her. She felt better after talking to Sara. She'd kept beating herself up over the fact that Joe was moving too fast and she had done nothing to stop him, but Sara reminded her that she was still a bit inexperienced when it came to dating.

Sam had nearly taken offense to that when she realized that it was her own fault. She wasn't normally very outgoing, and she worked so hard in school that she didn't have much time to socialize or pursue a relationship. Her main goal had been to work hard and get a good education, lest she end up in a troubled marriage or separation, but would still have the means to support herself financially. A slight bitterness crept into her voice. It subsided when she realized she shouldn't agonize over it, but rather focus on the matter at hand.

Sam had told Sara all about what Joe had done to her in the car. She told her that she felt as if she'd been used, and Sara told her she was overreacting a bit, especially since Joe had only kissed her and felt her up. Sam shuddered slightly as those memories flooded back, and especially at the thought of what he could have done to her if she'd stayed in the car any longer than she did. For a moment she thought that eating the ice cream was a mistake, and that she was going to vomit. Sara realized something was wrong when Sam suddenly said that she didn't want to discuss it anymore.

Sam then admitted to Sara the feelings that were brewing deep within her for some time, but didn't completely surface until only several hours ago: she hated herself. She hated herself for letting herself get enticed by Joe's initial email, especially at the prospect of meeting someone decent. She hated herself for deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt even after her slight misgivings about him. She hated herself for acting like an entranced zombie when he took advantage of her inexperience and not doing anything to stop him. And, most importantly, she hated herself for the way she acted toward Daniel. No wonder he wasn't talking to her. From the way she treated him Wednesday morning, anyone could have guessed that she had brought an end to their friendship.

Sam's voice finally broke and she began to sob softly as she told Sara about how she'd tried to reach Daniel on the phone, but he wouldn't pick up. She was sure it meant that she would never see him again. She admitted that she needed his friendship, and by acting like a fool, she'd most assuredly lost it. For a moment she almost couldn't believe she was breaking down like this. It made her realize how much his friendship must have meant to her.

Sara empathized with Sam. She hadn't met Daniel of course, but from the way Sam would talk about him, he seemed like a very sweet, caring, easy-going man who was great company. The last time she'd talked to Sam earlier in the evening, she learned that he seemed to care a great deal about Sam. She knew Sam had reservations about Joe, but she didn't think she should write him off completely. To be honest, she was secretly hoping that Sam would ditch Joe and choose Daniel instead, but she didn't want to burden Sam right before a date that she couldn't break.

Sam tearfully admitted to Sara that she was calling it off with Joe. Even though she was completely repulsed by what happened, a tiny piece of her still felt bad that it didn't work out. Sara was incredulous upon hearing this, and reminded Sam that Joe was not worth it, no way.

"Sometimes things happen for a purpose, Sam," she'd told her. "Don't get me wrong – what Joe did to you was wrong, but the way I see it, you're no longer dating at the moment, and there's nothing holding you back from Daniel."

"I guess you're right," Sam sniffled. "But, there is something holding me back from Daniel: the fact that he doesn't trust me, and that he no longer wants me for a friend."

"Sam, you don't know that," Sara said sadly.

"Then why wouldn't he answer the phone?" Sam nearly demanded.

"I don't know. Maybe he was in the shower?"

"No … more like, he was sitting in front of the phone, heard my voice on the answering machine and decided I wasn't worthy of his friendship," Sam said bitterly.

"Sam, that's the wrong attitude," Sara returned sternly. "I doubt you're right, but in case you are, maybe he's still hurting from what happened in the coffee shop. You have to be patient, allow some time for the healing process. In time, I'm sure he'll stop hurting and will talk to you again."

"Oh, sure, make me feel ten times worse than I already do," Sam spat out.

"Come on, Sam, you weren't exactly very nice to him," Sara insisted before her tone softened somewhat. "Just give him some time and he'll be back to his old self. From what you told me, he sounds like a very loyal guy, so I wouldn't underestimate him."

Sam sniffled.

"Why don't you do something to get your mind off it?" Sara offered. "If you don't have anything to do this weekend, go out shopping, do some gardening, take a walk, or stay in and curl up with a good book."

"You make it sound so good," Sam chuckled ruefully, cracking a smile for the first time in ages.

Sara laughed softly. "Hey, it beats sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself. Or … actually, I don't think Jack and I have anything planned tomorrow. Do you want to meet for breakfast or something?"

Sam pondered Sara's offer until she remembered she'd told Daniel's answering machine that she would be patronizing the Java House Saturday morning.

"Nah, I was planning on heading to the coffee shop near campus. But, thanks for the offer."

"Are you sure?" Sara persisted.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay," Sara said. "Wait, you have a coffee maker at home, why bother going over there for …"

She trailed off when she realized that Sam had met Daniel there, and was probably hoping to run into him.

"Oh," she said quietly.

Sam remained silent.

"Well, listen, I wish you luck. If you decide to change your plans, just give me a call tomorrow morning."

"I will," Sam replied in a more even tone. "Thanks for listening, Sara," she said contritely.

"We're friends, Sam," Sara reminded her. "I'm here to listen. I hope everything goes okay."

"Thanks. I really hope I can patch things up with Daniel," Sam replied sadly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you will. You're a great girl and he'd have to be crazy to avoid you for too long."

Sam's cheeks burned. "I'm glad someone thinks so," she said in spite of herself. "I better get going in case he calls."

"Okay, but don't make yourself crazy. And get some sleep!" she ordered playfully.

"I will, don't worry," Sam assured her before saying goodbye and hanging up.

She made her way over to the freezer and began to search for the pint of ice cream. She looked at the label and felt a wave of nausea hit her. She realized she was no longer hungry and shut the freezer door.

She sat down at the kitchen table and rested her head on top of her folded arms. She began thinking about what Sara told her, especially about how Daniel may need time to heal after what had taken place the other morning. For a moment she couldn't believe that she had hurt him so much. Granted, she had made a fool of herself in the coffee shop with her little outburst, and she hadn't made any other plans to see him, only vaguely telling him she'd "see" him. His apparent behavior in refusing to talk to her on the phone made her think that she'd hurt him more than she originally thought.

She sat at the table and stared up at the phone, hoping that perchance Daniel had gotten the message, felt bad upon hearing Sam's voice, and decided to return her call. The clock went from 11 to 11:30 … then from 11:30 to midnight … then midnight to 1 AM, and it became clear to Sam that Daniel was most decidedly not going to call her.

She didn't know how much longer she was willing to sit there, and didn't think it was possible for her to fall asleep after being so agitated and anxious in hoping that Daniel would call. She must have grown tired enough to finally drift off to sleep at some point, because she suddenly jerked her head up when she heard the faint chimes of the grandfather clock in the living room announce that it was 3 AM.

Sam looked around her dimly lit kitchen and winced as she realized she had one hell of a headache. She slowly stood up, switched off the small night-light, and made her way out of the room, stopping only to cast a disappointed glance at the phone.

* * *

Sam collected her cup of once-again-black coffee and made her way to a small booth near the back of the Java House. She sat down and swore to herself when she realized that the barista had absent-mindedly given her a lid that was too big for the cup. She discarded the lid and attempted to sip the coffee when it nearly burned her lips.

_Oh, that's right, it's black – it's going to take longer to cool_, she stupidly reminded herself. She shook her head, not believing for a second how dumb she was. She definitely wasn't as sharp as usual, due to the fact that she must have gotten at most three hours of sleep last night. After she forced herself to leave the kitchen and head to bed, she found it hard to get to sleep and ended up staring at the phone on the wall next to her bed for another hour. She finally realized she was kidding herself, and Daniel was not going to call her at all. Somehow she managed to finally drift off to sleep.

Sara was right; she could have very well stayed home and made herself a pot of coffee, but she'd made up her mind that she was visiting the coffee shop. She only met Daniel there during the week, so she wasn't sure at all if he'd ever go there on a weekend. In a way, she was hoping to accidentally run into him. Well, maybe not accidentally at all – but she was hoping to find him and tell him she had an awful time with Joe, that he was absolutely right, and that she was an idiot for fooling herself into thinking she still needed to find love.

She had to park in the lot behind the coffee shop, as all the spaces were taken out front. She looked for Daniel's car and fretted upon not finding it parked anywhere. Then she mentally kicked herself for realizing that she'd never seen Daniel's car, so she didn't know what to look for anyway. She wondered how long she should stay there. It was about 9:15 AM and there was no sign of him. _I guess I should stay until after this cup of coffee finally cools a bit and I can actually finish it_, she stupidly thought.

Nearly twenty minutes had passed. Sam's coffee had cooled down to the point where she could actually drink it in small sips. As she replaced it on the table, she heard the door to the coffee shop swing open and she cast a wary glance in that direction.

Her heart did a somersault as she witnessed Daniel – at least she thought it was Daniel – entering the shop and making his way to the counter. He was wearing sunglasses, but the longish, light brown, center-parted hair, and the long-sleeved, checkered flannel shirt gave him away. As he stood in line, he replaced the sunglasses for his usual brown wire framed glasses, which confirmed his identity to her.

She watched as the barista handed him a cup of coffee and some napkins, and he smiled, nodded his head and appeared to be thanking her. Sam's face flushed and she suddenly felt the need to hide under the table, almost ashamed to be seen in his presence. She quickly dismissed these feelings as she reminded herself why she was here. She had to talk to him and apologize to him. She knew how important his friendship was to her, and she couldn't leave until she'd reclaimed it.

Sam kept her eyes trained on Daniel as he left the counter and headed in the direction of the back of the shop, a pleasant smile on his face. When he was about ten feet away from Sam's booth, he suddenly noticed her sitting there, looking a bit pensive, and his smile faded. For a quick moment, their eyes met. Sam noticed that his beautiful, crystal blue eyes lacked their familiar warmth, and they seemed almost cold and hard, like steel. The expression on his face turned into stone.

"Daniel," she muttered tentatively.

He didn't say a word, and Sam's eyes followed him as he brushed her off and continued further down the aisle to a small booth several tables behind hers. She watched him sit down, remove his jacket and place it on the seat next to him, and settle into his cup of coffee. He was completely ignoring her, and she knew that she deserved it.

A harsh reality made itself known to her: Daniel wasn't interested in her friendship any longer. She felt like her heart had been ripped out when she realized how he must have felt. She had hurt him, and he didn't want to trust her. She had lost his friendship, thanks to the ridiculous way she acted toward him. She really hated herself when she considered how blind she had been all along. She didn't know a good thing when she saw it, and now she was paying the price. She deserved everything she had coming to her.

She considered just getting up and walking out, as there didn't seem to be any point to remain there if he wasn't going to have anything to do with her. Her eyes drifted downward and she remembered she still had to finish her cup of coffee. Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted the cup up to her lips and took a small sip. She realized how agitated she was when her hand began to tremble more. She set the cup back down onto the table uneasily, and the shaking of her hand caused it to spill a bit.

"Damn it," she muttered shakily as she fought to retain her composure. She looked stupidly down at the puddle of black coffee in the middle of the table, but didn't have the heart to clean it up. She folded her arms and rested her head down on top of the table, her body shuddering ever so slightly as she wept silently. She never felt so defeated in her life.

As she wept, she failed to notice the slight impact as someone sat down across from her. She stopped crying briefly as she heard what sounded like a napkin being pushed along the surface of the table. She slowly raised her head and felt her heart do another somersault as she witnessed Daniel sopping up the spilt coffee with a napkin. His eyes were focused on the tabletop until he heard her sniffle. He seemed almost afraid to look her in the eyes, but he finally directed his eyes up at her. Once he took in her red, tear-stained face, the hardened façade shattered and his eyes filled with sympathy.

He finished cleaning up the mess and looked at her intently. To be honest, he had gotten her answering machine message last night. Actually, he'd been there when she called. He recognized her number on his caller ID, but he decided against picking up the phone. He heard her message, but decided against calling her back. At the time, he was still very hurt and still believed that she was lost to him. He needed some time to think, and for the notion that she might actually want his friendship back to sink in. He'd slept on it, and it only resulted in a mostly sleepless night as he agonized over it.

When he spotted her a few minutes ago, he was still very hurt and not willing to let her get off easy for what she'd done. But, when he spotted her attempting to drink her coffee, he saw how upset she was and how his attitude was affecting her, as she was almost shaking like a leaf and managed to spill her coffee. At that moment, he realized he'd been overacting and that she really needed his friendship.

Now, he sat across from Sam and looked at her pitifully, not sure what to do or say. He figured he'd let her make the first move.

"Daniel," she stammered, her voice still trembling.

"Sam," he said sadly as he looked soulfully into her eyes. He took hold of her hands and noticed they were still trembling somewhat. She was really agitated, and he knew she needed more support, so he went around to her side of the table and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Daniel," she said into his shoulder as he stroked the back of her head. "I acted like such a jerk. I thought you hated me and that our friendship was …"

"Shh, Sam, it's okay," Daniel said soothingly as she clung tightly to him.

"I mean it; can you ever forgive me for the way I treated you?" she insisted, sniffling as she loosened her grip on him.

Daniel pulled out of their hug and looked into her eyes. "I think it's entirely possible," he answered.

Sam stared at him.

"Of course I can, Sam," he elaborated, smiling faintly. "I could never stay mad at you like that. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I no longer wanted to be your friend – or hated you or anything like that. Yes, I was a bit hurt when it seemed that you didn't want my advice. To be honest, I was worried for you. I was worried that this guy didn't sound like he was good enough for you, and I was afraid of how he'd treat you. I care about you so much, that I only want the best for you."

Sam studied his face and noticed a faint blush in his cheeks. She gave him a watery smile.

"Thanks, that really means a lot to me," she replied, her voice wavering slightly. "I really feel like an idiot for the way I treated you. I felt that I didn't deserve your friendship," she said regretfully.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I have to admit that, for a while I was agonizing over what I said to you that morning. I was worried that I had overstepped my bounds, and almost felt that I didn't deserve _your_ friendship."

Sam's watery smile returned. "You were only trying to help, Daniel. You were trying to let me know how you cared about me. I realize that now."

Daniel's lips edged upward into a faint smile as he pulled her close to him and hugged her once again. For a few minutes they stayed in that position, and Sam felt safe and warm in his arms.

"What happened last night, Sam?" Daniel finally asked, his voice muffled slightly by the top of her head.

Sam sniffled and pulled back from him. She briefly glanced at the area around their booth. Daniel's eyes curiously followed hers before he realized that she was making sure that no one was around. Luckily there weren't many people in the back of the shop, as most of the patrons were situated in the front and at the counter. This area was fairly secluded.

"Well, I met him at O'Malley's at six," she began in an even tone.

Daniel looked at her thoughtfully and nodded.

"We had dinner and talked a bit about our personal lives – family, work, that kind of thing. He told me he has three brothers and one sister, and out of all of them, he's the only one who didn't marry. He said something about getting married quickly so they wouldn't have something to say about him still being single," she continued, her voice a bit uneasy.

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell did he mean by that?" he asked quietly.

"I think I had a pretty good idea," Sam replied, still with a trace of agitation in her voice. "He tried to make it sound as if he was joking, but I'm not entirely sure it's what he intended. I don't mind telling you that it startled me a bit. "

The wrinkles in Daniel's brow faded as he gave her an expectant look.

"He kept telling me that he was going to put me on the spot. He kept asking me what I thought of the evening, and what I thought of him."

"And what did you say?" Daniel asked slowly.

"I told him the truth. I told him it was a nice evening so far, and that he's a nice guy … so far. He told me he'd ask me again later," she said, sounding a bit annoyed as she rolled her eyes briefly.

"Sounds a little insecure," Daniel offered. Sam nodded. Sara had said the same thing, and they were in total agreement over that.

"After dinner, he dragged me to the bowling alley," she continued grimly. "I stink at bowling."

Familiarity flashed in Daniel's eyes as he remembered seeing her and her date heading from the bowling alley toward the bookstore and nearly running into him. He noticed Sam looking at him expectantly and he raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know how many times I protested, but he was insistent on bowling with me, so he dragged me over there," she added with a rueful little smile. "We played one game, but what a disaster it was. I haven't bowled in quite a few years, and I was reminded of the fact by all the gutter balls I was getting – not that I was very good to begin with," she finished sheepishly.

Daniel smiled briefly and then shrugged. "I've never really been interested in bowling. Gutter balls, what are those?" he said, giving her a playful grin.

Sam's agitated expression melted briefly and a broad grin lit up her face, causing Daniel to chuckle softly. She knew he was joking, but there was yet another reason why she liked him so much – he didn't bowl.

"You'll never believe this, Daniel; he kept saying he was going to teach me to become a pro – as if I'd ever go bowling again! He was actually trying to show me how to position myself and the ball and all of that so I could improve. The way he was talking, it was like he thought he was a pro bowler. I wouldn't doubt that he bowls a lot, but he seemed far from pro status to me."

Daniel smiled sympathetically.

"I couldn't wait to get out of there," she continued, her smile fading. "Not only because he took the fun out of it by insisting on giving me a lesson, but … because he also made me uncomfortable." She swallowed hard as the unpleasant memories surfaced once again.

Daniel's eyes pierced hers as he looked at her seriously. "Uncomfortable? How?" he asked, his voice touched with fear.

"When he was trying to position my hand and my arm, he'd sort of put his arm around me and rub my back … sometimes he'd pat me on the back. Then after I managed to knock a few pins down, he congratulated me by throwing his arm around me and started rubbing my back again," she replied.

Daniel looked at her and blinked. Deep inside, he breathed a huge sigh of relief, as he was worried that it was something much worse.

"I guess it's silly to be uncomfortable over something like that. I'm just not used to displays of affection like that when I've barely known the person," she said awkwardly as a blush crept into her cheeks.

Daniel shook his head slightly. "It's not silly at all," he assured her.

Sam looked at him and sighed before continuing. "I think the evening might have been better if we hadn't gone bowling. I suggested getting some coffee or dessert in that little café inside the bookstore, but he said he didn't go for places like that."

Daniel blushed slightly upon hearing this. As much as he didn't like this Joe, he was glad that the man refused coffee in the bookstore's café, for they probably would have run into Daniel there, and he didn't want to think of what might have resulted from it.

"I thought we were going to part ways when he asked if we could sit in his car and talk," Sam went on, her voice becoming tenser. "I should have just told him I had to leave, but it was early still and I didn't have much of an excuse. I thought he just wanted to talk but …" She trailed off and shook her head, embarrassed about what she had let Joe do to her.

"… God, I was so naïve!" she said, her voice trembling as she began to lose her grip on her composure. She put her head down and covered her face with her hands.

"Sam?" Daniel asked nervously. He bent down and touched her arm softly. His comforting touch made Sam remove her hands, straighten up a bit and turn to face him.

"Sam, what did he do?" Daniel asked, his voice rising fearfully.

Heavy emotion passed over Sam's face as she looked at him and noticed his mouth partly open in question and his big blue eyes tinged with fear. She looked down at her hands and began to twist her napkin nervously. Daniel removed it from her hands, and took them in his own.

"This is hard for me to talk about," she began uneasily.

"What did he do to you?" Daniel persisted.

"He did talk a little in the beginning, but he went back to that whole 'I'm going to put you on the spot' thing again. He asked me if I had a great time, and what I thought of him."

"And what did you say?" Daniel asked quietly.

"I told him he was a nice guy and I had a nice evening. I mean, what was I going to say? 'The evening was lousy and you've been annoying me the whole time'? Part of me did want to say that, but I just couldn't. You'll never believe what he asked me next, though."

Daniel looked at her expectantly, his eyes still tinged with fear.

"He asked me what I'm going to tell my parents."

Daniel's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Daniel, my father is in D.C. and my mother died 25 years ago."

Realization shone in Daniel's eyes. "And he knew this?"

Sam nodded. "I told him once over the phone, and once again at dinner."

Daniel shook his head sadly. "Oh, God. What a stupid thing to say."

Sam nodded grimly. "When I reminded him about my dad, he actually said he wanted to meet him at some point."

"Your dad's in the Air Force, though," Daniel said, a touch incredulous.

"I know. He is going to have some leave coming up, but to be honest, I don't think he'd like Joe at all," she continued, her voice wavering slightly.

Daniel looked at her seriously. "What happened, Sam?"

Sam looked into his eyes and her lip began to tremble. "Oh, God," she began shakily. "He asked how I would feel if he kissed me. Like an idiot, I asked him what he meant by that. He gave me the old 'just a little, tender kiss' line. It was complete bullshit," she said bitterly as she lowered her head once again.

Daniel cupped his hand over her chin and tilted her head towards him so that she could see his face. "Sam?"

Her body began to tremble in anticipation of the story she was about to tell him. "He gave me a long, wet kiss," she continued, making a nauseated face. "I was about to pull away and leave, when …"

Daniel looked at Sam as she trailed off, looking utterly lost. She seemed to be emotionally overwhelmed, as if she couldn't come to terms with what had happened to her. It made Daniel feel uneasy. Normally, he wouldn't have pressured her into talking about it if it bothered her so much, but if this guy had hurt her in any way, he had to know.

He leaned over and began stroking Sam's hair in a comforting gesture. She sniffled once again and attempted to compose herself so she could continue.

"He, um … he grabbed me and pinned me to the seat. He kissed me hard, so hard I thought I would choke on his tongue," she started quietly, tears escaping her large blue-gray eyes. "He got touchy-feely. His fingers were in my hair, his hands were on my back, my shoulders, and my, um …"

She trailed off and her cheeks flamed. Daniel didn't have to ask what she meant when she lowered her head, averting her eyes to her chest.

"Oh, my God," Daniel said quietly, his voice sounding angry and sorrowful all at once. He pulled her close to him and could feel her body trembling as she began to sob.

"He got my cardigan off halfway and was trying to rip my dress off when I … I uttered this gasp so he could let me up for air. I was able to pull away from him and told him I had to go. I think he had more in store for me. Daniel, you have no idea how scared I was when I had a look at his eyes after he did that. There was this _hunger_ in them," she whimpered, nearly choking on the word.

She looked up briefly at Daniel and saw a slight tinge of anger in his blue eyes. It subsided and he looked at her sorrowfully once more. She put her head back down and rested it against his chest.

"And I was such an idiot for letting him do this. I could have told him I had to go right after that first kiss, or even shoved him away. It was like he had me in a spell where I had no control over my will. I was caught completely off guard. It was only our first date, and it was like he wanted to lay claim to me right then and there. He was such a manipulator, and I fell for it."

Her words were swept away by a flood of tears, and for the first time in a while, Daniel found himself struggling to maintain his own composure. He was not only upset for Sam and what had happened to her, but he was angry at this Joe for the way he treated his dear friend. Daniel never had a violent bone in his body, but he was very close to wanting to throttle this man.

"Oh, God, Daniel, I can't believe what a fool I am!" she cried between sobs.

"Sam, please, you're not a fool," Daniel replied, his voice calm and comforting. "You're a sweet person – honest, trusting, and caring – and he took complete advantage of you."

Sam sniffled and looked back up at him, the wisdom and clarity of his words beginning to sink in. "But, I could have done something to stop him instead of just sitting there and letting him handle me like a rag doll," she insisted.

"His behavior took you completely by surprise. You weren't prepared for that," he replied. "Please, Sam, don't beat yourself up over this. He shouldn't have done what he did. If I had perchance run into him last night, knowing what I know now, I would have given him hell for it."

Daniel surprised Sam with the last sentence. She looked at him thoughtfully and realized just how much he cared for her. It touched her more than anything else.

"He put on such an act," she continued bitterly. "At dinner, he kept telling me how much he wants to be a fireman, and how one of his brothers is a cop. He was giving me all these safety tips … going walking out at night alone, going to a bar and making sure someone doesn't slip a date rape drug into my drink … and he even wanted me to call him last night when I got home so he'd know I made it home all right. He was acting like such a responsible big shot, like he wanted to look out for me …" she trailed off.

"But he wasn't very responsible himself," Daniel finished for her.

Sam sniffled and nodded.

"Oh, Sam," he said sadly as he felt a twinge of guilt strike him. "I knew something was up when I heard that message you left me last night. I didn't pick up because not only was I still hurt over what had happened the other day, but I just didn't know what to say to you. I was acting like such an ass. There was no excuse for leaving you hanging in that state. I'm so sorry," he said as he hugged her, sniffling as his voice began to waver.

"Daniel, I was so worried that I had lost your friendship, but I realized that that was what I deserved for treating you the way I did," she said somberly as she pulled out of the hug.

"Sam, I would never want to lose something as valuable as your friendship. You're the sweetest, most thoughtful woman I've ever known, and I hate to think where I'd be right now if we'd never met," he said solemnly, his lips edging upward into a faint smile.

Sam returned his smile. "So, is it all right if we start over?"

Daniel's smile became heartwarming. "Sure, that sounds good to me," he said, chuckling affectionately. He and Sam embraced tightly, pulling away only to allow Daniel to give her a soft kiss on the cheek. Deep down he was a bit afraid of how Sam would react to the kiss after what Joe had done to her. He needn't have worried, as her face seemed to light up in a smile.

He uttered a soft sound of surprise as Sam returned the kiss. She caught him and started laughing softly. He returned it with an impish smile and a pat on the back.

She took a sip of her coffee and grimaced. "Oh boy, coffee's gone cold."

"So has mine," Daniel said grimly as he wrinkled his nose slightly after taking a sip. "Eh, it wasn't that great, anyway."

Sam nodded as she stood up and deposited the cup in the trash. Daniel followed suit and then joined her as she made her way toward the doors of the coffee shop.

"So, you have anything to do this weekend?" he asked her once they reached the parking lot.

Sam shrugged. "Not really. Joe wanted to see me on Sunday, so I have to think up an excuse to get rid of him," she said uncomfortably.

Daniel drew up the corners of his mouth tensely. "I can't believe what he did to you," he said softly, a hint of anger in his voice. "I'll be home all weekend, so if you need someone to talk to at all, just call me. I promise I'll answer this time."

Sam gave him a quick smile. "Thanks, Daniel, I really appreciate it. I just need some time to get over what he did … and to think of some way to get rid of him. I'll definitely give you a call either tonight or tomorrow."

Daniel smiled as he followed her over to her car. He gave her a quick hug and another kiss on the cheek before she got in. "Okay, I'll talk to you later, then."

Sam nodded and smiled before turning on the ignition and heading out of the parking lot.

Daniel watched her go and sighed. He was glad that he and Sam had patched things up. The last thing he wanted was to never see or talk to her again, thanks to some pervert who'd force himself upon her.

_You'd better hope you don't run into me, you bastard_, he thought before he made his way over to his own car.


	12. Chapter 12 Confrontation

Chapter 12

Sam felt warm inside as she made the drive back home. She was glad she had made up with Daniel once and for all, no questions asked. She was still quite embarrassed over the way she had treated him, and for not realizing at the start how he'd been right to be wary of Joe. All had been forgiven, though, and she realized that she had learned a valuable lesson. If she was ever faced with this situation again – although she hoped that she never would be – she would know what to do.

Her smile faded when she realized that Joe would be calling her today about getting together on Sunday. She decided she would break it off with him. Not only did she find his personality (as well as his looks) unattractive, but he was moving too fast for her. He made her uncomfortable, and she didn't want to spend her time with someone with whom she couldn't be completely at ease. How could she tell him?

As she exited her car and made the way up her front walk, her mind began to reel with possibilities for letting Joe off easy. Not that he deserved to be let off easy, but Sam was a nice person and found it hard to just tell someone off. She remembered what he had said about his previous dating experiences. He had dated young girls who, in his own words, "didn't have their priorities straight." What would that make her, then? After what he'd done to her that night, and after she _let_ him do it, wouldn't that make her seem like a game player as well?

She made up her mind that she didn't care. Sam realized that this was her life she was dealing with, and if getting rid of him gave him the idea that she was a game player, then so be it. Why should she care what he thinks? He had gotten the wrong idea about her. He had forced himself on her, and taken advantage of her inexperience. He was the one at fault, even though she was convinced that she was partly to blame for letting him do it. Sara had told her that a good guy would have sensed that she was uncomfortable, and would have been more accommodating.

Sam chuckled to herself. Sara had always been a bit pushy, even annoying at times, but she was being a very good friend to her throughout this predicament.

As good a friend as Daniel, she thought. She smiled when she thought back to her reconciliation with Daniel just over an hour ago. She was really thankful to have him as a friend – a good, caring friend who really understood her well. She remembered she owed him a phone call, and decided she would try to reach him after she had some lunch.

Sam rooted through the fridge until she located some cold cuts – turkey and cheese – that she'd just bought two days earlier. She carried them, along with a jar of mustard, to the counter where a loaf of bread was waiting. She began assembling her sandwich and was about to spread some mustard on top when the ringing phone pierced the silence.

"Oh, God," she uttered nervously, caught completely off guard. A pang of worry struck her when she realized it was probably Joe. She still hadn't quite decided what she would tell him, although she was certain that she had to get rid of him at all costs. She slowly made her way over to the wall and hesitated before picking up the jangling receiver. She took a quick look at the caller ID.

"O'Neill, J."

Sam briefly closed her eyes and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It was Sara.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sam, how are you doing?"

"Not too bad," Sam answered. "Just dreading hearing from Joe."

"What?"

"He's supposed to call me today about seeing him tomorrow," Sam elaborated.

"Oh, that's right. So, what happened at the coffee shop?" Sara asked, shifting gears.

Sam paused as a smile grew on her face. "Daniel was there. He showed up about twenty minutes after I did. At first I thought he wasn't going to talk to me, but he told me he was hurt and didn't really know what to say. We've made up, and I feel a lot better," she said, brightening.

"See? I told you," Sara said encouragingly. "He needed time to heal, and he was probably still a bit awkward since he hasn't known you for very long."

"But, Sara, that's the thing – we haven't known each other very long, but we seem to know each other so well, it's like we've been friends for ages."

Sara paused. "Well, then he's a really sweet guy who doesn't seem too aggressive. The fact that it seems like you've been friends for ages, has to tell you something about your chemistry. Some people were just meant to be together, Sam."

Sam's eyes widened and she felt her heart thud in her chest. She didn't speak for a few seconds as she pondered Sara's statement. Could she be right? Was it possible that she and Daniel were meant to be together?

"You really think that?" she said softly.

"What?"

"That we're meant to be together?"

"It's quite possible," Sara said noncommittally. "You said yourself that you couldn't live with yourself if you had lost him as a friend. What does that tell you?"

Sam found herself at a loss for words when she entertained the notion that Sara could very well be right.

"I … yeah," she struggled to get out as a crooked smile made its way across her lips.

"So, what are you going to tell him?" Sara asked.

"Uh … tell who?" Sam returned quickly as her thoughts about her relationship with Daniel were rudely interrupted.

"Joe," Sara added. "He wants to see you tomorrow, right?"

Sam's face fell and she sighed miserably. "Yeah."

"So?" Sara prodded.

"I … I don't know," she began uneasily. "I thought about just not answering the phone. Maybe I could … I don't know, email him and say that I heard from an old friend, and we decided to get back together – that he deserves someone better than me, and that I wish him luck."

"Oh, please don't tell me you're going to do that," Sara said incredulously. "He deserves someone better than you? You deserve someone better than _him_."

"Yeah, I know, Sara, but I just thought I'd say that, and …"

"Sam, you have to stand your ground. Not answering the phone, but rather emailing him is taking the coward's way out," Sara interrupted firmly.

"Yeah, I guess, but I don't know if I can speak to him on the phone," Sam said timidly. "I'm afraid of what he might say."

"If you email him instead he probably won't think you're serious and he'll keep bugging you. If you don't talk to him, you'll just keep agonizing over what he might have said. You need to get it over with and tell him point blank that you don't want to see him anymore," Sara insisted.

"It sounds so easy from the way you're talking," Sam said ruefully. "How do I do that?"

"Tell him what you honestly think of him. If you thought he was a nice guy, tell him that. But make it clear that he was going too fast for you, and it made you feel uncomfortable. Wish him luck, and end the conversation."

"What if he doesn't accept it?" Sam said with a touch of desperation in her voice.

"Stand your ground. Tell him if he doesn't like it, tough shit. You have to stand up for yourself, Sam. This is your life you're talking about. You can't let guys like this take advantage of you."

A little voice somewhere deep inside of Sam began nagging her, chiming in that Sara was absolutely right and that she definitely had to prevent this guy from walking all over her. Her face grew serious as the realization dawned on her.

"You're right," she asserted.

"You know I'm right, Sam. Just stand your ground and you won't have any problems. Hey, Jack has his share of quirks. If I didn't learn to stand my ground with him, I'd probably be up in Minnesota doing some fly fishing right now," Sara said wryly.

Sam briefly wondered what Sara meant by "quirks", but she brushed it aside and laughed softly.

"Okay, I better go. I have to have some lunch before he calls," she said.

"Okay, Sam. Good luck, even though I don't think you'll need it," Sara replied.

"Sure you don't," Sam shot back facetiously.

Sara giggled. "Take care."

"Bye."

Sam hung up the phone and immediately went back to putting the finishing touches on her sandwich. With a determined resolve, she decided that she was going to give it to Joe straight – no beating around the bush, no compromises. As she chewed thoughtfully, her mind wandered and she began thinking about Daniel once again. She reached for her book of phone numbers and flipped open to the page where she'd recently written his phone number so that she would have it handy.

She nearly choked on her food as she heard the phone ring. She coughed and took a sip of water before she headed over to the phone. She cast a wary glance at the caller ID.

"J. Ryan."

Her face suddenly flushed and her heart began to race. _What are you worrying about? Hold your ground and get rid of him. _

"Hello," she said confidently as she picked up the phone.

"Hi, is Sam there?" the dreadfully familiar voice inquired.

"Hi, Joe," she said quickly.

"Hey!" he exclaimed jovially. The eagerness in his tone made Sam want to vomit.

"Yeah, hey," she answered back emotionless.

Joe laughed a bit and then cut right to the chase. "So, what time should I pick you up tomorrow?"

Sam swallowed hard. This wasn't going to be quite as easy as she thought.

"Uh … t-tomorrow?" she repeated, sounding as if she'd been caught off guard.

"Duh! Of course! What were we talking about last night in the car?" he asked in disbelief. "I figured we could get a head start on making you a pro bowler, and then we could drive up to this nice, private, little ridge I know and watch the sun set, the stars come out, and … as for what else, anything's possible!"

"Uh …" Sam was beginning to lose her grip on her resolve, but once she replayed his words in her head, she realized what he probably had in store for her, and remembered what she needed to do.

"Look, we'll have to talk some other time. I'm just heading out the door to visit a friend," she said briskly.

She could sense the change in Joe's mood. "A _friend_?" he answered. He ended with a forced chuckle, but Sam could see right through it. She knew he was being suspicious once again. Finally, she was ready for him.

"Yes! I'm going to visit a girlfriend. Why are you so suspicious?" she nearly demanded.

"Huh?" he replied after a beat, sounding dumbfounded.

"You heard me," she said forcefully. "You've been acting like this ever since we first started talking on the phone! You asked me why I picked up on the third ring, then you asked if one of my old boyfriends was calling to take me back when I had to answer a call waiting tone, and now this! It's as if you're checking up on me. There's no reason for you to do this, and I'm sick of it."

"Uh … well," he stammered. She could tell that he hadn't expected this from the meek woman he'd forced himself upon last night. It felt satisfying. "I … okay, I'll admit it. I tend to get suspicious with women. I told you about the last girl I dated – Kathy. We had been dating for two months and I was all set to propose to her. I even bought the ring. I let myself into her apartment and found her in the bedroom with another guy."

Sam shook her head in disbelief as she listened to his excuse.

"I'm sorry, but I found you really wonderful last night. I just don't want to find you with another guy after all those doomed romances of mine. Do you understand?"

Sam felt a fiery anger burn within her as she took in the belittling tone of his words. She decided it was time to pull out all the stops.

"You were out to _own _me," she replied, her voice tightening.

Joe remained silent.

"You wanted to lay claim to me right then and there. That's why you wanted to meet my father so bad. That's why you locked the car doors and pinned me to the seat. You wanted an instant romance."

"Hey, now, you didn't seem to be objecting or resisting to it at all!" he said defensively.

Sam knew she had hurt his ego, but it didn't bother her one bit. She clenched her teeth and stopped herself from screaming at him. She had to remain calm when talking to him. "Because, I was afraid of what you'd try to do to me if I resisted," she said in an agitated tone.

"I can't believe that," he said after a pause.

"I'm serious," she insisted. "Listen, Joe, I had a good time last night and you're a nice guy, but you were going too fast for me. It was like you were trying to cram a month into one night. Rushing into things like this makes me uncomfortable."

"Who's rushing?" he said incredulously.

"You are!" Sam raised her voice. "I can't believe you're this clueless. If you insist on rushing into a relationship, I can't deal with it," she said firmly.

"Okay, then, we won't rush," Joe said, hoping he still had a chance with her. "Please forgive me, okay, beautiful? I'll never find another woman as wonderful as you!" he begged pathetically.

Sam uttered a sound of disbelief. "You really _are_ this clueless. It's over. There's nothing more to say."

Joe sputtered incredulously.

Sam was going to hang up when she remembered something else she wanted to tell him.

"Oh, and by the way, I hate bowling."

A huge smile spread across her face after she hung up. She was free – completely, utterly, one hundred percent free. Her earlier worries of what she should say and what she could expect from him when he called had completely dissipated. She hardly thought twice about what she had said to him, and where it had left her. An enormous weight had been removed from her chest, and she felt light, airy and carefree.

Most importantly, she didn't have to worry about her situation with Daniel, especially the whole "going-behind-his-back" mentality. She was free to spend time with him without worrying whether she could date two guys at the same time. They were still only friends, but she could now enjoy his company even more.

She grabbed her phone book and fervently dialed Daniel's number.

"Hello?"

Sam smiled broadly as she heard Daniel's voice. It was like music to her ears.

"Hi Daniel, it's me," she greeted him.

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Hey," Daniel said kindly. "How are you doing?"

"Couldn't be better," Sam said happily.

"Wow, you're in a good mood," he observed.

"I know," she replied giddily.

"What happened?" he asked in a slightly suspicious tone.

"Joe called."

"Oh …" Daniel replied. "I take it you …"

"… Told him off," she finished for him.

Daniel seemed a bit surprised by Sam's revelation. "Really … you did?"

"Uh-huh. He called and asked about getting together tomorrow, and I let him have it. I told him he was going too fast and it made me uncomfortable. He begged me to forgive him, but I held my ground and told him it was over before I hung up on him."

"Wow, Sam. Ah … that … that's great. How do you feel? I mean, that's not a very easy thing to do; I can imagine it must have been difficult."

"Yeah, it was, at first. Sara told me I should stand my ground with him, and I realized she was right. This might sound corny, but a little voice inside of me told me I should stand up for myself and not let him walk all over me. I don't know how, but I mustered up the courage to tell him off. I was right, he wanted to lay claim to me. He said that he didn't want to catch me with another guy after all of his doomed romances," she snorted scornfully.

Daniel paused briefly. "What an ass," he replied, his voice touched with anger.

"Yeah," she agreed. "He revealed even more of what a loser he was. He dated a girl for two months and wanted to marry her. He was going to propose when he walked in on her with another guy."

"After only two months? For some reason, I'm not surprised," Daniel surmised. "He was probably smothering her."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Sam agreed. "God, I am so glad to be rid of him."

"Mmm," Daniel replied. "Sam, you did the right thing. You knew in your heart that he was wrong for you, and for that I'm glad. I was really worried about what he might do to you."

"Thanks. Actually I was worried about what he would do to me if I went out with him tomorrow. He said something about driving up to a private little ridge to watch the sun set, and the stars, and 'as for what else … anything's possible,'" she said in a disgusted tone.

"Oh, that's not good," Daniel said quietly. "It doesn't sound like he would have been very interested in celestial bodies."

"Ugh, yeah," Sam shuddered. She turned back to the phone. "Thanks, Daniel."

"For what?"

"… For just being a friend who's willing to listen. You were right about this guy all along. I was so blind to want to give him the benefit of the doubt, and look what happened," she said, agitated.

"Sam, what did I say about not beating yourself up over this? He took advantage of you and caught you completely off-guard. Just don't think about him anymore. He's gone and out of your life."

"I hope you're right," she replied. "When I hung up on him, I think he still wasn't convinced that I was breaking it off with him. I hope I don't run into him anywhere, especially alone. I'd hate to think of what he might say or do to me," she said fearfully.

Daniel sighed. "I'd hate to think of what I might say or do if _I_ ran into him," he muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said dismissively. "Look, Sam, don't worry about it. Knowing this guy's track record, he's probably found himself another girl already."

Sam smirked. "I better go now. I have to finish my lunch."

"Okay, take it easy," Daniel said gently. "If you need someone to talk to, I'll be here. Do you want me to give you a call tomorrow or tomorrow night?" He mentally kicked himself for thinking that he might have sounded a bit too overbearing. Sam needed time to get over what Joe had pulled on her.

Fortunately, she didn't think he was overbearing at all. "Sure, I would really appreciate it," she replied. "Thanks, Daniel."

"Sure. Take it easy and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye, Sam."

She hung up the phone and sighed. It was good talking to Daniel after what she'd gone through with Joe. She hadn't really ever been this assertive before, but she realized she had to think of herself. All she wanted was to be happy, and if that meant telling off Joe to getting rid of him, then so be it.

She was still worried about running into the man somewhere. When she'd hung up on him, she'd gotten the feeling that he wasn't entirely convinced that she no longer wanted to see him. If she did perchance stumble upon him, she was worried about what might happen. Daniel insisted that she should not worry. He seemed angry about what Joe had said, and then there was that little comment that he wondered what _he_ would do if he ever ran into Joe.

She didn't ponder it for a second longer as she finished the remainder of her sandwich.

* * *

Daniel kept his word and called Sam the next day. It was mostly to see if she was all right after the whole Joe predicament. Luckily, Sam was in good spirits. She told him about the walk she took to a special little place all her own, with a little creek and a view of the mountains, without going into much detail. She told him that her father had called the night before and she'd told him about Joe. He had seemed angry – not at her, but at Joe for having taken advantage of his little girl. He expressed concern that Sam wouldn't find the right guy. She became awkward as she told Daniel this and he'd even blushed a bit upon hearing it. The two of them dismissed it and she told him of how he had some leave coming up, probably within the next month. She was glad, as she hadn't seen him since Christmas.

For the most part, the conversation between them was a bit on the awkward side. Sam's ears burned whenever she thought about Sara's comment – that she and Daniel could be meant to be together. Daniel was a bit awkward as well, because he didn't want to be too overbearing after what had just happened to her. Daniel figured he would give Sam a little space and some time to get over it. He told her he didn't think he'd be at the Java House the next few mornings because he'd be busy working on a talk he was going to give later that week. He didn't tell her it was the talk he was giving in her department. He promised he would give her a call one evening early in the week.

After he hung up, he realized it was now 2 PM and he hadn't had lunch yet. He decided to head down to the Aspen Deli in town. It wasn't his favorite place, but they did make good sandwiches.

As he entered the deli, he noticed it was empty, save for a guy and a girl sitting at a table near the back. The guy appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, and the girl looked to be at least a decade younger. They seemed to be very intimate. Daniel couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this guy made him feel as if he knew him – not personally, but that he at least knew who he was. He shrugged himself out of it as he made his way up to the counter.

He collected a bowl of soup and half a sandwich, and sat down a couple of tables in front of the pair, who were now kissing passionately and making out. Daniel looked at them oddly for a moment before he turned his attention back to his lunch. He took a spoonful of the homemade chicken soup and savored its taste.

"Oh, wow, Joe! You are … such a … kisser!" he heard the girl exclaim out of breath.

His ears perked up a bit. _Joe?_ He shrugged himself out of it. So the guy's name was Joe. It was just a coincidence and nothing more.

"Why, thank you for the compliment, little lady!" the man returned smugly. "You're not so bad yourself!"

The girl giggled. "Well, I've told you about my past relationships. Why don't you tell me about yours?" she pressed.

"Oh, so now you're putting _me_ on the spot?" he said with mock surprise.

"Come on, fair is fair!" she insisted playfully.

"Well, okay," he sighed melodramatically. "I'll start with the most recent."

Daniel tried hard not to listen too closely to their conversation, but at that moment he had to stop and roll his eyes. He was determined to tune them out, but they were talking so loud that he couldn't help but hear them.

"I just ended a relationship with an older woman – er, older than you, that is, not older than me," he chuckled. "I thought she seemed sweet, but she ended up being a big nerd."

The girl giggled some more, and Daniel couldn't think of anything more irritating as he went back to eating his soup.

"She was!" he insisted. "She was a professor at some university … the one right around here actually … UCCS I think it is. I think she was in physics … or astronomy … or something like that. Sam …"

Daniel stopped in mid-gulp and his eyes widened when he heard that name.

"… Sam something … last name began with a C I think … Carton, or Carter?"

Daniel's spoon clinked noisily against the bowl of nearly empty soup as he dropped it. He whipped his head around and got a good look at the man. He seemed to fit the description Sam had given him a while back, and the revelation that he'd gone out with her was enough to prove to Daniel that this was Joe.

He thought about getting up, going over to them and reading him the riot act, but he decided he'd stay put and see if the man was going to say anything else. He remembered what he was thinking after he saw Sam in the coffee shop yesterday morning, and how he felt like he wanted to throttle Joe, but he started to have doubts that it would be the best course of action. Perhaps he should just ignore the man.

"Ha, was she all old-farty or dowdy looking?" the girl joked.

"Not when I went out with her, but who knows what she looks like behind a desk?" Joe replied. "You wouldn't believe this, I gave her one little innocent kiss at the end of the evening, and she calls me the next day to break it off, saying that I was moving too fast, or some bullshit like that. How do you like the nerve? This woman was, like, a couple of years younger than me and she thought one little kiss was moving too fast! I'm thinking she's either a real prude who's repulsed by men, or she's so strange that no man would ever want her!"

A spark of anger flashed in Daniel's eyes. Not only was this guy talking cruelly about Sam, but he was also lying through his teeth. He knew that Sam didn't deserve this one bit, and decided that ignoring Joe wasn't enough. Daniel cared for Sam too much to sit idly by and listen to some loser badmouth her.

He felt as though his heart was guiding him as he stood up, pushed his chair in, and made his way back to their table.

"Ah … excuse me, are you Joe Ryan?" he asked the man as he cleared his throat.

Joe looked at him bewilderingly. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I don't know who you are, though."

Daniel ignored him and folded his arms across his chest. "Listen, I-I couldn't help overhearing you badmouth a friend of mine."

Joe raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Doctor Samantha Carter," Daniel elaborated, not willing to budge.

Joe turned to look at him seriously, and Daniel saw real anger in his eyes. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" he demanded.

Daniel stood, unmoving. "I'm a friend of hers," he said simply. "And it hurts me to hear anyone speaking of her in such a manner."

Joe's lip curled up in a sneer and he rose from his seat. "She was dating you behind my back, wasn't she," he said in a quiet, angry tone.

Daniel looked at him incredulously and, for a brief moment, he was actually afraid that the man would hit him. He put the fear aside and stood his ground. "No. She's a friend from work. We're both professors at UCCS …"

"She was dating you behind my back," Joe repeated angrily. "She said she liked to take things slow, and she's dating another guy the whole time. She's a goddamned liar and a floozy!"

Daniel felt his hands tense up and he curled them into fists as he fixed Joe with a hard glare. This was getting serious.

"Don't you dare talk about her that way," he said quietly through clenched teeth.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Joe said derisively. "I thought she might have been a floozy, but I can't imagine why she'd want to be stuck with someone like you. Out of all the men out there, she wants to be with a geeky, long-haired professor."

Daniel's curled up fists began to shake and he felt like he was going to lose it right there. What would that make him out to be, though? He didn't want to end up getting physical with this guy, so he tried to keep his cool.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear you say that," he said sternly.

With that, he sauntered back to his table, picked up his garbage and disposed of it. As he was doing so, he didn't notice that Joe had made his way to the front door, blocking any means of exit. He had pulled himself up to his full height in an attempt to appear menacing. He was about the same height as Daniel, but had a more muscular, athletic build.

Daniel stood in front of him and stared at him placidly. "Get out of my way," he said in as calm and quiet a tone as he could muster.

Joe wouldn't budge. He played dumb and even began to laugh. Daniel could tell that Joe's ego had been bruised – even worse, in front of a new girl. He knew that Joe wasn't going to let him get off pretty easy. He didn't care, though, because this was all about Sam.

"Get out of my way," Daniel repeated a bit louder.

Joe assumed a challenging stance. "What are you gonna do, Four Eyes? Blind me with your laser pointer or something?"

Daniel's eyes shot daggers at Joe as he turned back to his girlfriend and laughed moronically.

"Did you hear that?" he addressed her. "Blind me with your laser pointer! Good one, eh?"

Before he could return his full attention back to the object of his offense, Daniel drew his fist back and cold cocked Joe squarely on the jaw. The blow knocked him over and sent him falling onto the pavement outside the deli.

Daniel stood in the doorway of the deli, panting. He looked down at his fist almost in amazement. He couldn't recall ever punching someone out like that before. He'd always shunned violence, but at this time and place, it didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was Sam. She was a dear friend of his, and she had done nothing to deserve this abuse. Joe was so thickheaded, and if it took physical violence to show him that, then so be it.

Daniel exited the deli and glowered down at Joe, who had managed to finally sit up. Daniel had hit him harder than he'd thought, as he'd managed to give him a bloody nose as well.

Joe noticed Daniel standing there and scowled up at him. "What the hell did you do that for?" he said incredulously, apparently trying to get over the shock that Daniel had it in him to land such a blow to his jaw.

"Boy, Sam was right – you _are_ clueless," Daniel surmised.

Joe was about to object when Daniel interrupted him. "You'd better stay the hell away from her from now on. Understand?"

Joe continued to look at him in disbelief and was about to object further when he realized that Daniel might actually do more damage to his face. He nodded reluctantly.

"Good," Daniel said quietly. He turned and noticed that Joe's new girlfriend was standing just outside the door, staring at the scene before her and looking mortified. She looked at Daniel and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come.

Daniel looked at her, his eyes tinged slightly with pity. "If you want to stay with him, that's your right," he said solemnly. "But, if you are a decent girl, I'd certainly think twice about it."

He turned back to Joe and gave him a withering stare. With that, he walked away, leaving the girl to stare at Joe tentatively as she watched him tend to his bloody nose and rub his injured jaw.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Daniel sighed as he began the drive home. He thought about calling Sam again that evening, but he didn't want to seem overbearing at all. He thought he might make things worse if he'd told her that he ran into Joe, had words with him, and that his fist made contact with Joe's face. He agonized over it and realized he'd have to tell her sooner or later, to let her know that he wouldn't bother her again. He wanted her to know that he cared enough about her to help rid her of this guy once and for all. He would tell her, but not just yet.

The next few days came and went in a blur. Daniel was quite busy trying to prepare for the talk that Thursday, and Sam had to contend with a larger-than-usual number of students seeing her during – and in some cases after – her office hours. Daniel kept his word and spoke to Sam on Tuesday night, apologizing for being MIA, but explaining that the talk he was about to give was based on one of his proposals. Sam grinned inwardly when she realized he was talking about the lecture he was giving in her department. She wondered why he wouldn't come out and tell her. She surmised that he perhaps wanted to surprise her, and her grin widened.

She was sitting in her office on Thursday morning, grading lab reports, when a quick knock interrupted her.

"Come in," she called out.

Doctor McClellan, the department chair, smiled as he made his way inside her office.

"Steve," she smiled back and nodded.

The man remained silent and looked hesitantly down at his hands.

"What is it …?" she said awkwardly, still smiling.

"I need a huge favor," he began slowly, not sure if she was going to like what he was about to propose.

Sam held her arms out expectantly, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she looked at him curiously. "Is this something that I'm not going to like?"

"Uh, well, I _hope_ not," he replied, brightening a bit. "Don Reismann is supposed to introduce our guest speaker at the Open Night lecture tonight, right?"

"Uh … yeah," she confirmed with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Well, there's a slight problem with that," he said uneasily, making a face.

"What?"

"He was supposed to be back from that conference in Pasadena later this morning, but his flight has been cancelled. He's trying for a later flight, but he informed me that he won't be able to make it tonight."

"Oh," Sam replied after a beat, a bit surprised. "Wow, I'm sorry to hear that."

Steve nodded. "So, here's where the favor comes into play," he sighed uneasily.

Sam looked at him expectantly.

"Were you planning to attend tonight?"

"Uh … yeah, of course," she nodded.

"I was wondering if you would mind introducing our speaker, then. He's from the Anthropology department … uh … Jackson, Doctor Jackson I think his name is."

Sam's eyebrows nearly leapt off her forehead and she felt her heart pound against her ribcage. Daniel. She would be introducing Daniel at this talk tonight. Even though she knew he was giving the lecture from the email she received, he had never mentioned to her what the talk was about and where he was giving it.

"Sam?"

She blushed as she realized she sat with a glazed stare on her face as her mind reeled with thoughts of introducing him. She turned back to Steve and saw him looking at her curiously.

"Oh, uh … sorry," she said as she cleared her throat and straightened up. "Sure, Steve, I wouldn't mind at all." She nodded slightly and gave him a faint smile.

His eyes lit up and he gave her a quick smile. "Great. I really, really appreciate this. The lecture starts at 7:30, so I'd say be down there at a quarter after. Hannah O'Leary should be down there with the refreshments by then. I wouldn't have asked you, but my daughter is having her spring concert tonight at the high school, so I won't be able to make it."

Sam smiled. "No problem. Wish her luck for me."

Steve nodded and smiled one last time before he made his way out of the room. Sam turned back to her work and found it hard to concentrate. She was going to introduce Daniel, after he seemed to be keeping the location and time a secret from her. She hoped he wouldn't be annoyed with her for some reason.

She shook her head incredulously as she realized she was being silly. What reason would he have to be annoyed? The only thing she could come up with was that he wanted to surprise her, and her showing up beforehand would ruin the surprise. He didn't know she was introducing him, and she hoped he wouldn't be uncomfortable with that.

She began to wonder why he was avoiding her. He'd insisted that he was very busy working on the presentation, but she wondered if something else was behind it. She entertained the possibility that he thought she was still upset over what happened with Joe, and that he wanted to give her a little space and some time to get over it. If that was the case, it only proved to her how considerate he was. She hoped that she was right.

* * *

After having a quick dinner at the food court nearby, Sam gathered some notes about Daniel's curricula vitae and hurried down to the large lecture hall on the ground floor. It was nearly 7:15, the time Doctor McClellan told her to be down there. As she made her way down the corridor, she glanced briefly again at the notes she was holding and was impressed by Daniel's background. She nearly agonized over what she was going to say when she introduced him.

As she entered the lecture hall, her heart began to pound as she noticed Daniel already up at the front of the room, setting up his laptop and double-checking a PowerPoint presentation. She felt her cheeks grow hot and her gait slowed dramatically as she neared the front of the room. She sat down in one of the seats in the first row. She looked up at him, noticing his checkered blue shirt, blue blazer and khakis. The lights bounced off his soft, shiny light brown hair making his face appear as if it was surrounded by a golden halo. He appeared to be a bit nervous as he cycled through each slide, as if he was doing a quick run-through before beginning his talk. Sam began to hope that he would never look up and see her.

It was all for naught when he raised his head at last and directed his eyes straight at her. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and his mouth dropped open.

"Sam?"

Her blush deepened as she forced a smile. "The professor who's supposed to introduce you is unavailable, so I've been granted that task," she said sheepishly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows higher and then nodded. "Oh."

"I'm not making you uncomfortable or anything, am I?" she asked uneasily.

Daniel's brow furrowed. "Oh, no, not at all!" he insisted. "I just … wasn't expecting to … ah …"

Sam chuckled inwardly. Daniel certainly seemed to have been caught off guard by seeing her here, and it actually made him seem quite endearing.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like me to emphasize here?" she asked, showing him the notes on his C.V. "Or anything you'd like me to leave out?" she joked.

Daniel smirked and shook his head. "No, it's up to you. I don't have any problem with it."

Sam looked at him and then nodded tentatively. "Okay." She sat back down and looked over the notes once again. A tiny part of her was disappointed that they seemed to be acting so business-like and not quite as friendly as usual toward each other. She reminded herself of the setting they were in, though, and tried to let go of the disappointment.

She looked down at her watch and realized it was just about 7:30. She edged up out of her seat and took her position at the podium to the right of Daniel.

"Uh, I guess we can start," she began, clearing her throat. She looked out at the audience and realized that the seats were only about one quarter filled. She recognized a few of her colleagues, but there were quite a few people that she couldn't place. She surmised that they were from the Anthropology department.

"For this month's Open Night, we're honored to have Doctor Daniel Jackson from the Anthropological Sciences department," Sam began nervously as she glanced down at her notes. "Daniel received several Masters Degrees, among those, in geology and linguistics at the University of Chicago …"

"Geology, eh?" a professor in the department interrupted amusedly.

Daniel looked at the man, smiled shyly and nodded.

"He has PhDs in archaeology and linguistics, also from the University of Chicago. He arrived at UCCS in the spring of 1994 and has been a faculty member of the Anthropology department ever since," she continued. She had to bite her tongue to prevent adding, "And a great friend of mine."

She noticed the audience members nodding, seemingly impressed.

"Doctor Jackson's talk is entitled, 'A Small Site in Fife Ness, Scotland: Implications for the Mesolithic Way of Life.' Doctor Jackson?" she finished awkwardly as she gestured to Daniel.

Daniel smiled shyly at her and nodded. "Thank you, Sam," he addressed her before she took her seat in the first row. As Daniel prattled on, Sam took note of how he addressed her. There seemed to be genuine kindness in his voice, and it made her feel warm inside.

* * *

"…And, one of the most important things to take away from this is that the assemblage gives us a clearer picture of the pattern of early settlement in eastern Scotland, adding another piece to the puzzle of Mesolithic way of life in this area."

The room erupted in applause, causing Daniel to smile shyly and blush. Sam stood up and clapped heartily before she made her way up to the podium again.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

The room was deathly silent.

"Let's thank Daniel again," Sam prompted before the applause sounded again. Once it had died down, Sam gestured to a table in the back, off to the right. "There's coffee, juice and um … cookies back there if anyone is interested," she said awkwardly. A group of people made their way in the direction of the table, where Hannah O'Leary, sedimentology professor, was ready and waiting with refreshments.

Sam noticed Daniel struggling to unhook his laptop from the projector and was about to go over and help him when a man whom she'd never met hurried to the front of the room and saved her the trouble. She stood there and furrowed her brow, wondering whom this guy was. He seemed young – probably a graduate student – with long, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail as well as a goatee, and was talking to Daniel animatedly. She assumed he was one of Daniel's students.

She made her way up to them in order to get a chance to speak to Daniel. The young man had succeeded in helping Daniel get the projector disconnected, the wires wrapped up, and everything back in its case. Sam cleared her throat to get their attention, and with that, the student picked the projector case up by its handles and handed it to Sam without saying a word. She looked down at it curiously and then back up at them as another person joined them and the three walked back to the refreshment table.

She began to feel bad that Daniel seemed to be ignoring her, and was even a touch insulted that this student had given the projector to her and didn't even bat an eyelash. It was as if she didn't even exist. She thought about heading over to the refreshment table herself, but she didn't want to make it look like she was following him, as if she wanted to maintain some dignity.

Before she could think about the situation any further, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Well, that was quite interesting!"

She turned and saw John Kleagle, the mineralogy professor, smiling at her. "Uh … yeah," she nodded with an awkward smile.

"I just had to make a big deal out of the fact that he has a Masters in geology," he grinned.

Sam chuckled and shook her head. "That was you?"

"Sure was!" he said impishly. "Of course, it would have been nice to learn what track of geology, but I didn't want to torture the poor chap," he winked.

Sam rolled her eyes briefly and then grinned. She felt Kleagle reach out and put his hands on the projector case.

"Here, let me take that up for you," he said. Sam eagerly let go of it so that he could take it back up to the Geosciences office.

"Thanks, John," she nodded.

He smiled and nodded back at her. "Have a good night," he said as he started to make his way out of the lecture hall.

She nodded back and then made her way over to the refreshment table, realizing that her throat was parched and she needed a drink. She was slightly disappointed to see that Daniel was no longer there, let alone no longer in the room. She sighed deeply.

"Hey, Sam, what can I get for you – coffee?" Hannah smiled.

"Uh, no, no coffee, Hannah. Um … what is this?" she asked, gesturing to a gallon of what appeared to be some type of juice.

"Cranberry Grape," Hannah replied.

"I'll take some of that," Sam croaked. She blushed as she realized what she sounded like and cleared her throat.

Hannah nodded and poured a glass of juice for her. Sam nodded, accepted it and thanked her. She made her way out through the back doors behind Hannah, and stood in the hallway, sipping her juice thoughtfully.

She smiled as she noticed a few of her fellow faculty members approaching – Doctor Jeffrey Balkin, geophysics professor; Doctor Elizabeth Newcomb, geochemistry professor; and Doctor Bruce Lyndon, fellow astrophysics professor.

"Hey, Sam, what did you think of the talk?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, uh … it was very interesting," Sam returned, careful not to sound overenthusiastic.

"Wasn't it?" Jeffrey agreed. "We really should have more archaeologists give talks in this department."

Bruce nodded. "But, not before we actually get an astrophysicist to give at least one talk," he said facetiously.

"Hey, here's an idea: why don't you give one, Bruce?" Elizabeth shot back. Sam smirked.

"If I wasn't so damn busy, maybe I would," the elderly professor conceded before getting back to the subject at hand. "Seemed like a nice young man. Several Masters Degrees and two PhDs … quite impressive."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. He must be some fountain of knowledge." She blushed as she remembered that was what she'd told Daniel when she first met him.

The others nodded thoughtfully before Elizabeth looked down at her watch.

"Well, I better get going."

Sam looked down at her watch and realized it was just after 8:30. Where did the time go? she wondered.

"I better get going, too. I have to put the finishing touches on that exam I'm torturing my students with – in their words, of course," Bruce added.

The two of them went off and waved goodbye to Sam. She smiled and waved back.

"Have a good night, Sam," Jeffrey told her kindly before he followed the others down the corridor.

Sam nodded and watched him disappear down the hall. She stood back and watched as the place emptied out. A slight shiver went down her back as she realized how quiet it had grown. She finished what was left of her glass of juice and deposited the plastic cup in the trash before she made her way outside.

She stood in one place and breathed in the cool nighttime air. She looked up at the sky and noticed how clear it was, evident from the brightly twinkling stars – an astronomer's dream.

She was about to turn left and head to the parking lot when she heard the shuffling of feet behind her. She turned around curiously and nearly felt her heart leap up into her throat as she noticed Daniel standing in back of her, apparently watching her.

"Hey," he greeted her softly.

Still a bit surprised, Sam looked at him. "Hey," she returned awkwardly.

"I didn't … scare you or anything, did I?" he asked as he walked closer to her.

Sam didn't say a word, but merely shook her head. A kind smile grew on Daniel's face, and it was enough to make her heart melt. She no longer felt so awkward.

"You did a really good job," she said solemnly.

She laughed inwardly as she caught the blush that crept into his cheeks. "It wasn't exactly a full house tonight," he returned in spite of himself. "On the other hand, I've never really been known for packing lecture halls."

Sam frowned slightly. "Oh, come on. You're too hard on yourself. From what I saw, the crowd that _was_ there was quite impressed. Some recognition is better than none, and I'd hope that my opinion means something."

Daniel's lips twitched into a faint smile, which was returned by Sam. "Why didn't you tell me you were doing this?" she asked, playing dumb.

Daniel seemed a bit embarrassed by her question and shrugged. "I didn't think you'd find it remotely interesting," he said sheepishly.

Sam's brow knitted in confusion. "Are you kidding? Of course I did! Like I told you on the phone that one day, if it's anything besides geology or astrophysics, I'd find it extremely interesting."

"Even if it's something like the mating habits of dust mites?" Daniel deadpanned.

"I'm not sure I'd go that far," Sam snickered. Daniel's face lit up.

"I mean it, Daniel. You did a great job," she insisted.

A smile spread across Daniel's face. "Thanks," he said.

She nodded and then looked at him curiously as she noticed his eyes turning apologetic.

"I'm sorry if I seemed rather …" he paused as he searched for the right word, "… distant."

Sam looked at him seriously. "It's okay," she said quietly. "I knew you were busy preparing for this talk and I didn't want to disturb you or anything." She wouldn't tell him how disappointed she was when he didn't seem to talk to her after the lecture concluded.

"No, it's not just that," he insisted. "I was a bit rude when I didn't acknowledge you later. Robert was talking my ear off about some new implications he'd just thought of, and I couldn't get away from him …"

"Robert," Sam mused as her brow furrowed in confusion. "Was that the guy with the long, blonde ponytail and the goatee?"

Daniel grinned and nodded. "Yeah, he's one of my students. Most of this project is his research for his Masters thesis. He's still in the writing process, but he's nearly done and is looking to defend his thesis before graduation."

Sam nodded.

"Anyway, I'm sorry I was so distant before, and for not calling you or meeting for coffee the past few days," he sighed. Sam was about to say something when he continued. "To be honest, I was afraid of smothering you. I thought you were still distraught over that whole thing with Joe, so I figured you might need some time to get over it. I thought it would be better to step back briefly and give you some space. I hope I didn't give you the wrong idea."

Sam looked into his clear blue eyes that were tinged with worry, and she realized her earlier assumption had been correct. Daniel was a sweet, considerate man who genuinely cared for her. She smiled softly.

"No, you didn't," she said forthrightly. "I know what a caring person you are, Daniel, so I figured that was the case – at least I hoped it was. I realize now how lucky I am to have you as a friend."

Daniel smiled back and stroked her hair before pulling her into a hug. After a few seconds he pulled out and looked at her uneasily as he'd suddenly remembered something.

"Sam, I have to tell you something important," he said uneasily.

At that moment, a thousand questions raced through Sam's mind as she tried to guess what he had to tell her. She came up empty.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I found that bastard with another girl," he blurted out.

Sam's eyes widened. "B-bastard?" she repeated incredulously. "You mean, Joe?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Daniel nodded grimly. "After I talked to you that Sunday afternoon, I went to one of the delis in town for some lunch. It was practically empty except for a couple sitting near the back, making out all over the place. It was a guy in his late thirties with brown hair, and a girl around her mid twenties with long, red hair."

"And you're positive it was Joe?" Sam asked, still finding it a bit hard to believe.

Daniel nodded. "At first I had no idea who he was, but I heard her refer to him as Joe, and then …" He trailed off, not sure how to continue.

Sam looked at him expectantly.

"I heard him talking about you," he said, looking at her sadly. "He mentioned you by name, Sam. He mentioned the fact that you were a professor at the university. He … he said some pretty bad things about you," he finished uneasily.

"What?" Sam said quietly.

Daniel sighed. "I won't go into what they were. Just trust me on this. He said some nasty things, and I couldn't let him get away with it," he said darkly.

Sam could feel fear creeping into her heart. From the way he was talking, it seemed that he'd gotten into a fight with Joe. She didn't see any bruises on him or anything, but she still found his choice of words a bit unnerving.

"Daniel, what happened?" she asked calmly.

"I confronted him and told him you didn't deserve to be badmouthed like that. His ego was bruised, especially in front of his new girlfriend, so he took quite a bit of offense to it. He started calling me names, too, and he even went so far as to prevent me from leaving the place. I … I had to take matters into my own hands," he said, averting his eyes as if he was afraid to face her.

"Daniel?" she asked as she bent down to look into his eyes.

He caught her face and he lifted his gaze back up to her. "I … gave him a right hook," he said sheepishly.

Sam's eyes widened. "What? You hit him?"

Daniel averted his eyes again and nodded.

For a moment, Sam was seemingly impressed as she shook her head, sighed and gave him something akin to a smile.

"I can't believe you did that!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I don't think I've ever hit anyone in my life, but it was practically unavoidable. I couldn't sit there and let him get away with talking about you like that. Not only did he badmouth you, but he also lied about what happened on the date."

Sam sighed heavily and a bit of anger momentarily flashed in her eyes. "That bastard," she said shakily.

Daniel reached out and touched her arm.

"You know, it doesn't really surprise me," she said after a beat, shaking her head.

Daniel looked at her curiously.

"It just proves further that he's a creep. It's funny because he told me on the phone how upset he was, how he thought I was something special, and how he would never find as wonderful a woman as me," she continued.

"Well, he sure got over his devastation quick enough," Daniel said sardonically. "Don't worry, though. I don't think he'll ever bother you again." He put his arm around her shoulder.

Sam took hold of his hand and smiled up at him tenderly. "Thank you, Daniel," she said simply.

Daniel's brow furrowed slightly. "For …?"

"Thank you for sticking up for me like that. It makes me feel bad, though, like I shouldn't have to count on you to fight for me."

"Sam, that's ridiculous. We're friends; it's the least I can do. I care about you too much to see you harassed and hurt by a creep like that," Daniel insisted.

Sam felt so touched she was afraid she would cry. The strong bond she had with Daniel was now made completely evident to her. Granted, they were just friends who hadn't known each other long, but they were good, close, dear friends.

"Thanks, Daniel," she said again before she hugged him tightly. She felt him stroking the back of her head and it comforted her immensely.

After a while, they stepped back and Daniel patted her on the back. "Well, it's getting late and we both have to work tomorrow," he said regretfully.

Sam nodded. "Maybe we can get some lunch together?" she asked hopefully.

Daniel thought for a moment. "Sure, that would be great."

Sam smiled and nodded. Daniel turned to head in the direction of the parking garage closer to SBS where he'd parked his car.

"Oh, Daniel," she suddenly called out.

He turned and looked at her curiously as he made his way back to her.

"I spoke to my father the other day. He has some leave coming up next month, so he'll be coming out here for a visit to celebrate my birthday."

Daniel gave her a surprised look. "When is your birthday?"

"May 16th. It's a Friday … actually, if I'm not mistaken, it's the same day as the commencement ceremonies. He'll be arriving later in the day, so I'll still be able to attend …" she trailed off, blushing a bit.

"Oh," Daniel said quietly.

She watched as his lips edged upward into a faint smile. "I'll have to remember that," he added.

Sam felt her cheeks flame as she returned his smile, and it make him chuckle affectionately.

"Have a good night, Sam," he said.

"Thanks, same to you, Daniel," she returned. He turned and headed for the parking garage. She watched him walk away and smiled before making her way to her own car.


	14. Chapter 14 Graduation and Revelation

Chapter 14

Sam hummed to herself as she got dressed. Over the past three weeks, she and Daniel had become more comfortable and less awkward in their friendship and willingness to spend time with each other. Sam had gotten over what Joe had done to her in good time, and her overall demeanor was more positive and self-assured. Daniel had sensed that he'd given her enough time and space, and that she was ready to get back to where they left off. They spent quite a bit of time talking on the phone and meeting for coffee, with the occasional meeting for lunch.

During one of these meetings, Daniel told her about the reception following the Anthropology department's graduation ceremony. He'd wanted to invite her, and asked if she would like to come by. She found it hard to say no, but she did have to attend her own department's graduation ceremony, as several of her top students were among those graduating. She decided to work out a compromise: she would stay for the ceremony, stay for the first few minutes of the party to congratulate her students, and then would join Daniel at his department's reception.

Finally, the day had approached: May 16th. A faint smile appeared on her face when she realized that it was an important day for another reason – it was her birthday. She'd nearly forgotten until she received an early morning phone call from Sara, and then a long distance call from her brother, both wishing her a Happy Birthday. She was slightly disappointed, as she almost expected Daniel to give her a call, thinking back to his "I'll have to remember that" statement from a few weeks ago. She then berated herself for expecting too much from him. After all, they were still just friends. She didn't really expect him to remember, as it wasn't such a big deal.

She finished getting dressed and made her way to the kitchen, where she made a quick cup of coffee and poured herself a bowl of cereal. She quickly glanced at the clock and realized it was 9:30 AM. She was usually up much earlier, but there were no classes today, and she didn't have any meetings or other pressing engagements. She had to be in one of the seminar rooms for the graduation ceremony shortly before 1:30. She did want to get to the campus before lunchtime, so she could check her mail – both email and voicemail – and see if they needed any help setting up for the ceremony or the reception.

She was just about the leave when the phone rang once more. She didn't bother to look at the caller ID before she picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" she asked quietly.

"Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday, Dear Sammie … Happy Birthday to You!"

Sam grinned widely as she recognized the voice that sung birthday wishes to her.

"Thanks, Dad," she laughed gently.

Jacob Carter chuckled affectionately on the other end. Even though he was a career military man, her dad was also quite the softie. "You didn't really think I'd forget, did you?"

"No," she grinned.

"For a minute there I was worried that you weren't going to pick up. Aren't you supposed to be at the school now?" he asked with a touch of concern in his voice.

"Uh, not right away," she replied. "There's commencement today, and I really don't have to be in until the Geosciences department graduation ceremony at 1:30. I do want to get in there earlier, though, so I can take care of all my administrative business – email, voicemail, any paperwork … plus I want to see if they need any help setting up. I'll be leaving in a little bit."

"Ah," Jacob returned. "That's right, I remember you telling me that. Do you have to attend some sort of reception afterwards?"

"Yeah, there's a reception after that in the department. I'm not staying very long, though, because a friend invited me to attend the reception in his department – Anthropology," Sam continued, her cheeks becoming tinged with red when she realized she might have said too much.

"A 'friend', Sam?" Jacob asked curiously. "A friend invited you to attend the reception in '_his_' department?"

"Uh … yeah," Sam said awkwardly as her blush deepened.

"A friend, huh? Very interesting," Jacob remarked, his tone becoming a bit playful.

"Yes!" Sam insisted, snickering a bit. "What is the big deal?"

"Well, that fact that your friend is male, and that you've never mentioned him before, for one. You did break it off with this Joe, didn't you?" he said suspiciously.

Sam shook her head and laughed softly. "Yes, Dad, I did," she assured him. "And, I did mention this guy to you before."

"No, you didn't," Jacob pressed. "Oh … wait. Is he the guy who you met in the coffee shop?"

"Yeah, that's him," Sam smiled as she remembered that fateful day when she and Daniel first met. "His name is Daniel and he's a professor of archaeology. We've known each other for more than a month now. He's sweet and considerate, and we really enjoy each other's company."

"You've known him for more than a month?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed.

"And, yet, you still went out with that Joe. What, was Daniel not good enough for you?"

Sam sighed, annoyed. "No, it wasn't that," she replied, suddenly feeling ill and wishing she could hang up right this second. She knew her father too well, though, and he wouldn't let her get off without an explanation.

"Then what was it? From the way you describe him, it sounds like you two have real chemistry. Why did you take such a chance with that creep?" Jacob's tone was quiet and full of concern.

Sam shut her eyes and exhaled slowly before turning back to the phone. "I … I really can't explain it now, Dad. I have to leave now."

"Okay, kid," Jacob conceded softly, aware that Sam was being made uncomfortable by his grilling. He'd have to save it for when he saw her later in the day. "Actually I better get going now myself. My flight leaves in about an hour."

"Oh, right, um … what time do you think you'll be out here?" Sam asked.

"I should be getting into Denver International at around 12:30 or 1 PM, if there aren't any delays," he replied. "I couldn't get a direct flight to Colorado Springs, but I'm renting a car and I've been to the Air Force Base out there, so I know my way around."

Sam frowned. "Are you sure, Dad? I mean, I could go and pick you up in Denver after the ceremony."

"Sam, are you kidding?" Jacob chuckled softly. "I would never expect you to do that for me. You're going to be busy enough already, and it's your birthday, for God's sake. I appreciate the thought, sweetheart, but, please, don't knock yourself out."

Sam forced a little smile. "Okay."

"And, besides, I think I'd go nuts if I had to rely on you to drive me around the whole time I'm here," he teased.

"Thanks," she said wryly. "The graduation ceremony will probably last an hour, and then the reception maybe another hour after that. I'm not sure when I'll be back home, but probably not before 3:30."

"I'll give you an extra half hour since you'll be with that nice young man," Jacob laughed gently.

Sam rolled her eyes and smirked. "Well, I better go. I'll see you later, Dad. Thanks for the phone call," she said quietly.

"Okay, kiddo. Have a nice time," he said genially.

She said goodbye to him and hung up, smiling happily as she did so. She became thoughtful as she replayed over in her mind the words her father had spoken. As with Sara, he seemed to think that she and Daniel had good chemistry, even though he'd never met the man. She found it difficult to tell him why she'd gone out with Joe instead, and was glad she was able to worm her way out of the conversation for the time being. He would undoubtedly question her about it later, though, so she wouldn't be able to avoid it forever. She thought about what she could possibly tell him, and she hoped that he wouldn't berate her too much; she'd already done quite a bit of that herself.

She realized it was almost 10 AM, and that she needed to get to the school. She reached for her briefcase and keys, and then made her way outside.

* * *

Sam strode past the atrium on the first floor of the Earth and Space Sciences building, where various faculty and staff members were starting to set up for the reception following the graduation ceremony. She was going to offer her assistance to them once she'd gotten all her administrative business out of the way.

She headed for the stairs and stopped at the mailroom on the second floor. Finding a small stack of mail in her mailbox, she grabbed it and made her way out the door, glancing quickly at the blackboard, on which "Graduation ceremony: 1:30 in the Gilbert R. Baum Seminar Room (121). Champagne toast and reception to follow in the first floor atrium. Congrats, grads!" was written.

Sam collapsed into her chair and hastily went through her mail: several issues of various astrophysics journals, a flyer advertising a geology field trip, and a letter in an envelope with only her name printed on the front. She furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering whom the letter could possibly be from.

She opened it up and a little smile graced her lips as she began to read the neatly handwritten words on the lined stationery:

"Sam,

I'm not usually good with saying things like this, but I wanted to thank you for all the time, guidance and insight you've given me these past two years. Passing my thesis defense and receiving my MS degree are two of the most important things that have ever happened in my life. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure I would pass my defense. Looking back on that day, I was so nervous and didn't really have much of an idea of what to expect. Plus, having bronchitis didn't really help matters. I'm glad that my voice held out for as long as it did.

I've been accepted into the PhD program at Stanford with full financial support. I'm going to miss working here at UCCS with the faculty and my friends (including you), but I think I'm fully prepared for what lies ahead. Over these past two years, I've worked hard, but I've learned a lot in the process, and even had some fun. I have you to thank for all that.

I'll be heading out to California in August. When I get all settled in, I will email you and give you my contact information so we can stay in touch. I'll see you later at the ceremony, and hopefully at the reception, but I wanted to give you this letter now in case I don't get a chance to tell you how much I've appreciated having you as my research advisor.

Thanks for everything.

Kelly Muldoon"

Sam's smile grew and she blinked a few tears. Kelly's letter had really touched her. She had always been a sweet girl, but Sam was certainly not expecting something like this. It made her think of how lucky she was to be working with such good students – good not only as far as academic achievement was concerned, but good-hearted as well. She folded the letter back up and tucked it into her purse.

She checked her email and realized she hadn't received anything, apart from one email from the department chair, reminding everyone of the ceremony and reception. She had just shut her computer down when the blinking of the voice mail button on her phone finally got her attention. She picked up the receiver and went through the procedure of retrieving the one message that was waiting for her.

"Hi, Sam, it's me, Daniel. I tried to reach you at home, but I guess I just missed you. Sorry if you were expecting to meet me for coffee, but I've been busy preparing for the ceremony. I have to … ah … make a sort of speech," he trailed off awkwardly.

Sam grinned. She knew that Daniel was busy and wasn't expecting to meet him for coffee, but the way he apologized was so endearing.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you when the reception was going to be so you can come by and join me," he continued. "The ceremony should be over at … ah … about 2:30 I'd say, so the reception should start not long after. It's going to be held in the common area on the sixth floor, the place where a lot of the students and professors usually meet for lunch, informal meetings and whatnot. You shouldn't miss it; it's a large, open area separating the north corridor from the south corridor."

Sam took a pen and quickly scribbled some of the details onto a small piece of paper.

"If you're a little late, it's not a problem. You can come at 2:30, 2:45, even 3:00. I'm not sure when your department's ceremony is, but I'd guess it's around the same time. If you get this message, can you give me a call back and let me know when you think you might be coming? If not, I'll expect you anywhere from 2:30 to 3 PM. Okay, I guess I've gone on long enough. Talk to you later, bye."

Sam's grin widened. Daniel seemed a bit flustered and even a bit unsure towards the end, and she found that endearing as well. She shook herself out of it, realizing that she'd better call him and give him some indication of when she'd expect to show up.

She dialed his number and then frowned upon hearing his voice mail pick up. They were playing phone tag again, just as they'd done back when they first met.

"Hey Daniel, it's Sam. I got your message; I guess I was en route to the school when you called. The Geosciences' graduation ceremony is at 1:30, the same time as your department's ceremony, and the reception is at 2:30. I have to stay for a bit to congratulate some of my top students, and then I'll join you. I should be over there between 2:45 and 3 PM, if that's okay. I guess you're busy now. You don't have to bother calling me back, I'll just see you later … oh, and good luck with your speech. Bye."

* * *

Sam smiled as she made her way down the hall from the seminar room to the atrium. The graduation ceremony had gone off without a hitch. There were several tables adorned with pastel-colored tablecloths, which featured cookies, bottles of soda, pieces of cake, and a large punchbowl filled with champagne punch.

Sam collected a piece of cake and a glass of punch before scanning the room for her students, Kelly and Brian, as well as a few bachelor degree recipients who'd taken one of her astrophysics courses and excelled. Upon not finding any of them right away, her mind began to wander. The agonizing thoughts over what she should tell her father about the decision to date Joe began plaguing her, and she felt quite ashamed when she remembered how she'd showed such poor judgment in deciding to give Joe a chance and not noticing how Daniel was right there the whole time.

"Sam?"

She was pulled out of her brooding when she heard a familiar voice calling out from across the room. Her eyes refocused on a short girl with long brown hair, wearing a black cap and gown and surrounded by a middle-aged man and woman. A smile grew on her face as she steadily made her way over to the happy girl.

"Hey, Kelly, congratulations!" she exclaimed as she reached forward and pulled the girl into a small hug.

"I couldn't have done it without you," the girl smiled as she hugged Sam.

After she stepped back, she glanced at the couple standing next to her and then back to Sam.

"These are my parents," she said. The man and woman each stepped forward and shook Sam's hand.

"You've got such a bright daughter," Sam gushed. "She did a wonderful job on her thesis, as well as her defense. You must be so proud of her."

"We really appreciate all the time and insight you've given her," Patrick Muldoon said graciously.

Sam smiled and blushed faintly. As she averted her eyes and glanced momentarily at her purse, she realized she'd almost forgotten something. She opened her purse and dug out the letter Kelly had written her.

"And I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," she addressed Kelly, smiling shyly. "This was such a sweet thing for you to do, and it means a lot."

Upon seeing her parents' confused expressions, Sam smiled apologetically and held the letter up. "She wrote me a sweet letter, thanking me for all the guidance I've given her."

Kelly's parents blinked in surprise, and then smiled at her. "Well, that was a sweet thing for you to do," Jan Muldoon said as she put her arm around her daughter. Kelly nodded and smiled once again at Sam.

Sam smiled brightly and reached over to give her another hug. "I have to run. Take care of yourself, and good luck with Stanford. Keep in touch, okay?"

"I will," the girl answered.

"It was nice meeting you," Sam said, addressing Kelly's parents before she went off to look for Brian Lombardi, her other student, as well as the undergraduates she wanted to congratulate before leaving to see Daniel.

* * *

Daniel stood at the far end of the common area near a large window, holding up the wall. The graduation ceremony in the Anthropological Sciences department had just ended, and faculty, staff, and graduates along with their families had congregated in the large, open area for some cake and a champagne toast. Daniel had given a short speech as a prelude to the presentation of an award given to graduates who demonstrated excellence in the discipline of archaeology. Daniel was quite accustomed to public speaking no doubt, but he was convinced that he didn't sound as lucid and confident as he usually did when giving a lecture or a speech. He reasoned that it was because he had Sam on his mind, especially the anticipation of seeing her at the reception and introducing her to all of his colleagues.

Daniel alternated between sipping his champagne punch and checking his watch every few minutes. It was now 10 minutes to 3, and there was no sign of Sam. He had checked his phone messages right before he made his way down to the lecture hall for the ceremony, and had listened to her message. He had a vague idea of when she was coming, at least, but the fact that she wasn't here seemed to make the time drag on as slowly as possible.

"Daniel, there you are!" exclaimed a woman in a soft British accent. He looked up and saw his friend, Sarah Gardner standing in front of him.

"Hi, Sarah," he said softly, forcing a little smile.

"That was a brilliant speech," she gushed, smiling broadly as she patted him on the back.

"Yeah, really?" he said glumly. "Half the time I almost didn't know what I was saying. It was a good thing I had index cards on the podium because I was almost completely focused on something entirely different."

"What?" Sarah asked curiously as her brow furrowed in confusion.

Daniel looked at her for a moment and then gave a little shrug. "It's nothing, really," he said dismissively.

Sarah looked at him curiously and then shrugged herself.

"Where's Steven?" Daniel asked as he looked past her into the crowd.

Sarah smirked. 'I don't know. He'll be here soon. He's probably paying court to poor Doctor Kleinhuis," she snickered softly.

Daniel rolled his eyes and chuckled. "The man has not changed."

Speak of the devil, Steven Rayner had just left an older colleague's side and made his way up to Sarah and Daniel.

"Steven!" Daniel greeted him. "Paying court to poor Doctor Kleinhuis, were you?" he asked jokingly.

Steven's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? 'Paying court'? What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his tone letting on that he knew it wasn't exactly a compliment.

Daniel held his hands up. "Not my words – Sarah's," he said innocently.

Steven looked accusingly at Sarah. "Why, how naughty you are, Doctor Gardner," he said, grinning playfully at her.

Sarah went up to him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "I learned from the best, Doctor Rayner," she said, adopting a sexy tone of voice before kissing him softly on the lips.

Daniel rolled his eyes briefly and then flashed an innocent smile as they turned back to him.

"So, Daniel, that was some speech you gave!" Steven exclaimed.

"I told him that, but he wouldn't accept it," Sarah added.

Daniel blushed faintly and shook his head as he wrapped his arms protectively around himself.

"Come on, guys, it was nothing. If I kept my mind more focused on the topic at hand, maybe I could have done a halfway decent job."

"Oh, you're too hard on yourself," Sarah frowned.

"Always has been," Steven agreed. "You've never changed, Daniel."

Daniel's blushed deepened somewhat and he shrugged. "I never thought that humility was such a bad thing."

"It isn't," Sarah conceded. "But, _excessive_ humility, that's something else."

Daniel snorted as his friends enjoyed a quick laugh at his expense. He wished now more than ever that Sam would arrive.

His wish was granted as he spotted a tall (though definitely not as tall as Sarah) woman with short, blonde hair wearing a light blue skirt and blazer, white shirt and black, low-heeled shoes. She was coming from the north corridor and was proceeding tentatively toward the big open space of the common area. He looked past Sarah and Steven as she came closer. A smile grew on his face as he realized that it was Sam.

"Excuse me," he said, glancing quickly back at Sarah and Steven before walking away.

* * *

Sam made her way through the north end of the building, passing offices and classrooms as she neared the common area. She suspected that Daniel would introduce her to his friends, and she really didn't know what to expect, so she was quite nervous.

She felt her heart pounding as she picked Daniel out of the huge crowd that had assembled there. He was wearing an ash gray suit with a light gray shirt and a navy blue tie. He looked so sleek and handsome in that outfit, she was afraid she'd start drooling unconsciously. Daniel was certainly proof that geek could be chic. She was unaware that a silly grin had found its way onto her face.

The grin faded when she realized he was among a few other people, especially another woman … especially another woman who was a bit taller than him, thin as a waif, and had long, strawberry blonde, spiral-curled hair. She noticed that he was standing quite close to this other woman, and her cheeks began to flame. Was she actually feeling jealous? Perhaps this woman was just another colleague – a professor or even a staff member like a secretary. What reason did she have to be jealous?

Before she could agonize over it further, Daniel parted company with the others and started walking over to her.

"Sam," he said happily. His smile was warm and genuine, and it washed away the feelings of sheer jealousy.

She grew a smile of her own. "Daniel," she said softly.

Daniel's smile grew wider. "I got your message," he suddenly said.

Sam grinned. "You know, we really need to quit this game of phone tag," she joked.

Daniel chuckled softly and patted her arm softly. He quickly turned back to where Steven and Sarah were looking at them curiously.

"Oh, ah … come with me, I want you to meet someone," he said as he turned back to her.

Sam looked at him expectantly and then joined him as they made their way back to his colleagues.

"Sam, this is Steven Rayner …"

"Hi," Steven said genially. Sam smiled, nodded, and muttered a weak "Hi."

"… And Sarah Gardner," Daniel finished, gesturing to Sarah.

"Hello," Sarah smiled kindly.

Sam felt the slight pangs of jealousy return and resisted the urge to pull the taller woman's hair out by the roots. She forced a smile and a tiny "Hello."

"I've known Steven since my days at the University of Chicago," Daniel added.

"Oh yeah, we go back a long way," Steven agreed. "You don't want to know what he was like back then."

"Um … I can't imagine," Sam said awkwardly.

Daniel sighed. "Don't listen to him. I thought you just said before that I haven't changed," he said accusingly.

Steven shrugged. "No, I guess not," he conceded. "Except for some of those wacky theories you used to have. His advisor, Doctor Jordan had to talk some sense into him, or his career would have been in jeopardy. I mean, you should have _heard_ some of his ideas –"

"I think you've said enough, Steven," Daniel cut in, glaring at the other man. He turned his attention to Sarah.

"Sarah came here two years ago from UC Davis, and earned her PhD a little over a year ago," he smiled.

"Is she one of your students?" Sam suddenly blurted out. She mentally kicked herself as she recognized the slight note of jealousy in her voice.

Daniel raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised by the question. "Oh … ah …no, she was a student of Doctor Kleinhuis," he replied as he gestured toward an older man standing near the table with the bowl of punch. "She teaches one of our introductory archaeology courses."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. She nearly flinched in surprise when Daniel edged closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"This is Doctor Samantha Carter. She's an astrophysics professor over in the Earth and Space Sciences department," he said.

Sam looked up at him and smiled before turning back to Sarah and Steven.

"Wow, astrophysics, interesting!" Sarah exclaimed.

Sam gave her an amused smile and nodded.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Steven asked.

Sam and Daniel turned to each other briefly. "Uh ... well, we …" Sam trailed off.

"We met in the coffee shop," Daniel supplied carefully.

He was met with blank stares from both of his friends.

"The Java House … a few blocks from campus," he clarified.

Their blank stares were replaced with expressions of familiarity.

"Ah … so, how long have you known each other?" Sarah asked.

_What is it to you? _Sam thought to herself before once again biting back the feelings of jealousy.

"About a month and a half," Daniel replied.

"That long, huh?" Steven remarked.

Sam and Daniel nodded.

"Nice," Steven mused. He looked at them awkwardly before he looked at Sarah and noticed that her glass of champagne was empty.

"I'm gonna go get us a refill," he said to Sam and Daniel, gesturing to her empty glass, as well as to his own.

"Don't overdo it," Daniel said wryly.

Steven turned to look at him once more and rolled his eyes before he led Sarah over to the punch bowl. Daniel turned back to Sam and decided he'd introduce her to a few more of his colleagues.

* * *

It was about 3:30 when everyone began to disperse, and Sam and Daniel found themselves outside the imposing SBS building all alone. Most of the graduation ceremonies and parties had come to an end, and this part of the campus seemed almost like a ghost town. They walked hand in hand over to a large elm tree, which afforded them some shade from the bright afternoon sunlight.

"Thanks for inviting me, Daniel," Sam said as she turned to him. "It was nice meeting some of the people that you work with." She blushed slightly, as her tone seemed a bit glum in that last sentence.

Daniel didn't seem to pick up on it. "It's okay. They all seemed to like you, especially Steven and Sarah."

Sam averted her eyes and nodded.

"Did you know that they're engaged?" Daniel continued.

Sam inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and berated herself for ever cultivating feelings of jealousy in the first place.

"R-really?" she stammered.

Daniel nodded. "They haven't set a date yet, but with their schedules, they're thinking it probably won't be for at least a year. They're not in much of a hurry, though," he said softly.

Sam nodded, and as she looked at him, she seemed to become lost in his eyes. They were such a clear, deep cerulean color, and she thought she would drown in them. She studied his face – the chiseled features, the strong jaw, and the kind smile. She noticed that the soft, long, light brown hair that framed his face so nicely had some subtle blonde highlights in it, emphasized by the sunlight that leaked through the elm tree's canopy. She felt as though she wanted to kiss him, but acting impulsively would make her out to be a hypocrite, so she tried to rein those feelings in for the time being.

"It's such a nice day, isn't it?" Daniel asked her with a dream-like quality to his voice.

"It is," she replied. Her gaze shifted from him ahead toward the far end of the campus. In the background she could just make out some of the peaks of the Colorado Rockies. In the sunlight, they seemed to glisten magically.

She didn't notice that Daniel had been looking at her thoughtfully for quite some time, until he realized what day it was and how important it was.

She turned back to him when she heard him fidgeting with his blazer pocket. He pulled out a narrow rectangular box, and handed it to her.

Sam looked at him curiously and accepted it. As she opened it, she felt her heart leap up into her throat.

Inside was a dainty tennis bracelet, set with small emeralds – Sam's birthstone. She stared at the gift in disbelief, completely stunned and not expecting such a thing from Daniel. She almost felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"You got this for me?" she finally asked in a small voice as she blinked tears.

Daniel gave her a beautiful smile. "Of course, Sam," he replied. He removed the bracelet, unhooked the clasp, and fitted it around her right wrist, where it dangled ever so slightly.

"It's beautiful," Sam choked out.

"Like you," Daniel as he took hold of her hand and began to caress it.

Sam bit her lip ever so slightly as she felt a single tear roll down her cheek. She didn't want to be reduced to a messy, blubbering state, even though she was touched so much by Daniel's words.

Daniel noticed the tear rolling down her cheek, reached into his pocket and handed her a tissue. Sam accepted it and began to laugh through her tears. Yes, he was so thoughtful.

Once she dried her eyes and managed to regain her total composure, Daniel took hold of her hands again and looked into her eyes.

"I hope you know how much I care about you, Sam. I know we've only known each other for just over a month, but I feel that we have such good chemistry; it's as if I've known you for years."

Sam nodded slowly and smiled. "I feel the same way," she said.

Daniel's smile grew, and they began edging closer and closer to each other until their lips joined, and Daniel enveloped her in a slow, soft, tender kiss. For a fleeting moment, he was worried that Sam wouldn't be receptive, and might actually push him away, but this wasn't the case at all. His hands had cupped her face, and within several moments his fingers began running through her hair. The kiss became a bit more passionate and Daniel's tongue began searching her mouth, although not yet plunging into her throat.

He heard Sam utter a soft groan, and he realized what he was doing. He abruptly pulled away from her and blushed madly.

"I'm sorry, that was too forward, wasn't it," he said, flustered. His eyes were intensely apologetic as he gazed at Sam. He suddenly thought back to her experience with Joe, and was worried that he might end up doing the same thing to her. In the very least, he didn't think she wanted to go this far after what Joe did.

"No, it wasn't," Sam answered solemnly as she looked him in the eyes. "Daniel, I'm finally absolutely sure of my feelings for you. I know that I love you, and on top of that, I'm attracted to you. As you said, we know each other so well. Of course it isn't too forward. In fact, I was beginning to enjoy it." She smiled impishly and blushed slightly.

Daniel smiled and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Then I hope you won't find _this_ too forward …"

He wrapped his arms around her neck and proceeded to kiss her again, this time even more deeply and passionately. Sam knew there was no going back, and was completely receptive to the kiss. She knew it was something she truly wanted. She felt his tongue searching through her mouth, and it made her moan with pleasure. She began running her fingers through his soft hair, and he responded by doing the same to her. His hands worked their way down and began caressing her shoulders and her back, but never quite making their way to the front of her body.

After what Sam deemed to be one hell of a kiss, the two parted lips and stared soulfully into each other's eyes. Daniel then pulled her close to him and hugged her before kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Sam, I love you, too," he said softly. "I'm not quite sure how to say this, but … nothing would make me happier if we could be a couple."

Sam's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Daniel, caught a bit off-guard by his admission. She nearly got the wrong idea and thought that he was proposing to her. _Proposing, after knowing each other only a month and a half? _It seemed eerily familiar to Joe's experience – wanting to propose to a girl after dating her for only several months. One important difference was that Daniel was nothing like Joe, and quite possibly, the girl didn't harbor any deep feelings for him (apart from disgust, Sam thought).

She came to her senses when she realized she had jumped to conclusions. He couldn't be proposing, because there wasn't any ring involved. He had to mean that he wanted to see her on a steadier basis. Still, she needed to be absolutely sure.

"Daniel," she began softly. "Are you saying that –"

"I'd like to cultivate a real, meaningful relationship with you?" he supplied. "Well, yeah, something along those lines," he smiled softly.

Sam laughed gently as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good, just making sure," she replied.

Daniel grinned. "We'll still be the best of friends, but on a whole new level, if that makes any sense," he said as he blushed a bit.

"Oh, yes, that makes perfect sense, Doctor Jackson," she grinned back. She noticed that his glasses had slid down his nose a bit, so she reached out and pushed them back up to the bridge of his nose. Daniel reciprocated by fixing the collar of the white shirt that she wore under her blazer. It had gotten slightly askew as a result of their little make out session. Sam grinned up at him and nodded before embracing him once again.

"I can't believe what a fool I was," she said regrettably as the top of her head brushed his chin. "I was searching desperately for love, and there you were, right under my nose the whole time."

Daniel sighed. "We all make mistakes, Sam," he said softly. "But, we can redeem ourselves by learning from them." He finished his statement by stroking the back of her head.

"That's so true," she muttered. She stayed in his embrace for a few moments before a realization hit her and her eyes widened before she pulled apart from him.

"Oh, geez, I just remembered, my father should be at my house by now," she remarked in a flustered tone.

She looked into his eyes hesitantly as she worked up the courage to ask him an important question. "Would you like to come home with me and meet my father? After all, it's only fair if we're going to be seriously dating." Her face cracked open in a big smile.

"Sure, I'd be happy to," Daniel answered gladly.

"Great," Sam nodded. "Just follow my car. I'm not too far from the school."

Daniel smiled and nodded before making his way to his own car, which was parked not far from Sam's.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sam couldn't get rid of the infectious grin plastered on her face as she made the short drive home. She was totally aware of how she felt about Daniel, and his admission of his love for her was such a lovely surprise, not to mention that beautiful bracelet. She briefly glanced down at her wrist from which it hung ever so slightly. It wasn't a huge, gaudy hunk of jewelry; rather, it was petite and feminine, with dainty stones. It was one of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts anyone had ever given her.

She snickered softly as she wondered what her father might think of it. She then felt a few fears rise up within her. She was still a bit worried about how her father would take to Daniel. She had only mentioned Daniel in passing to her father, and hadn't gone into much detail about him. From what little was said, Jacob seemed to think Daniel was a nice guy, but he was now actually going to meet Daniel, and first impressions were everything.

She caught sight of Daniel's car in her rear view mirror and smiled. She didn't think she had all that much to worry about. She turned into her driveway and as she noticed Daniel pulling up opposite her front walk, she spotted a white Dodge Neon parked next to the curb, closer to the driveway. The door opened slowly and a partly bald, middle-aged man exited with some packages in his arms.

"Impeccable timing," Sam muttered softly, smirking as she recognized her father.

Her smirk turned into a happy grin as she made her way over to his car.

"Dad!" she exclaimed.

Jacob turned around and his face lit up in a smile as soon as he heard Sam's voice. He briefly set the packages down on top of the hood of the car as he pulled her into a hug.

"Hey, Sammie," he said warmly as he hugged her and patted her on the back. They didn't notice Daniel making his way up to them tentatively and observing their show of affection. He stood and watched them, not wanting to interrupt what was going on between them.

They pulled out of their hug and Sam stood facing him as Jacob pulled a serious face and gave her a mock salute, which she returned. She turned her head quickly and finally noticed Daniel's presence. His was an expression of amused bewilderment. Sam blushed faintly and cleared her throat.

"Daniel, this is my father, General Jacob Carter," she began. Daniel extended his hand in greeting as Sam shifted her attention to her father. "Dad, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson."

The two men shook hands amiably. "So, this is Daniel," Jacob stated. Daniel nodded silently, appearing a bit shy and timid.

"Sam's told me about you," Jacob continued.

Daniel's brow knitted slightly. "She has?" he asked curiously.

Jacob nodded and smiled. "Not very much, I'm afraid," he chuckled softly.

Daniel glanced briefly at Sam, whose blush was deepening. "Well, we haven't talked all that much in the past month, Dad," she said sheepishly.

Jacob chuckled once again. "This was very good timing," he said as his laughter faded. "My flight was delayed because of a problem with the engine. We ended up sitting on the runway for almost an hour."

Sam winced. "Ouch."

Jacob shrugged. "Hey, better they discover the problem while we're safely on the ground than 30,000 feet up in the air."

"Good point," Sam conceded.

"As soon as I got off the flight and reclaimed my baggage, I high-tailed it over to the car rental dealership. Once I made it here, I took a trip downtown to pick up some …" he trailed off as he looked down at the packages, which looked like they came from a bakery.

"… Things," he finished.

Sam looked knowingly down at the packages and shook her head once she realized what they were.

"I'm glad you got back here when you did," he continued. "I really hope you have some room in your fridge."

"Dad, you didn't have to do this!" Sam exclaimed.

Jacob shook his head stubbornly. "Please, Sam, I had to get something for you. We have to give you a nice birthday dinner, and what's a birthday dinner without some dessert?" he asked hopefully with a twinkle in his eye.

Sam smiled and shook her head again, still unable to believe that her father went through all this trouble. She reached over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, which he returned.

"Come on, kiddo, let's get this stuff inside," he said gently before picking the boxes up and following Sam up her front walk.

Sam had just unlocked her door when Jacob realized he'd left something in his car, and swore under his breath.

"Will you take these for me?" he asked Daniel. "I'll be right back."

Daniel nodded and took hold of the boxes as Jacob hastily made his way back to his car.

He followed Sam inside and stood in the foyer, looking around curiously. He then caught sight of her standing and looking at him expectantly, blushing ever so slightly.

"So, this is your place," Daniel said slowly.

Sam averted her eyes and nodded.

"Nice," Daniel mused.

"Thanks," she said quietly as she took the boxes from him. "But, um … what do you really think?" she asked cryptically.

Daniel's eyebrows edged up. "Of …?"

"Of …" she trailed off and gestured out the window, where Jacob was inside his rental car and picking something up off the backseat.

"Oh," Daniel replied as he directed his gaze back at her. "He seems very nice," he said sincerely.

Sam's lips edged upward into a faint smile. It faded as Daniel's brow furrowed, followed by a slight smirk.

"What was that all about with the … ah …" he trailed off as he mimed the mock salute she and her father had given each other just before.

Sam blushed faintly and began to chuckle. "Oh, that. He used to do that to me all the time since I was little. It's just … something we've always done," she said a bit awkwardly.

Daniel nodded. "Not a bad salute you have," he remarked.

She blushed again. "That's what he always said. Makes me wonder if, in another life, I was in the Air Force and my job was somehow more exciting," she shrugged.

Daniel grinned amusedly, which earned a slight snicker from Sam.

"Well, it's great that you have such a good rapport with him, such a good relationship, even though you live so far apart. I mean, it's exactly the way it should be," he said, his voice becoming tinged with regret.

Sam looked at him curiously, and Daniel realized he'd nearly said too much. He was trying to think of a way to change the subject when Jacob opened the front door and stepped inside. He looked at them incredulously when he noticed that Sam was still holding onto those packages of his.

"For God's sake, Sam, put that away before it spoils," he said as he gestured toward the larger box.

Sam looked quickly down at the box and snapped out of her confusion. "Oh, uh … sorry."

Daniel gave her a sympathetic smile and squeezed her arm, prompting her to give him a sheepish smile in return before she headed for the kitchen and placed the box inside the fridge. She resisted the temptation to lift the lid open and peek inside. She took the smaller box, which more than likely contained cookies, and placed it on top of the counter near the stove.

"I'll go in there and see if she needs any help," Jacob said cheekily to Daniel.

Daniel looked at him for a moment before forcing a little smile. He figured that Jacob wanted to talk to Sam about something, so he made his way over to the couch and made himself at home. He glanced curiously at the few magazines Sam had laid out on top of the coffee table. He didn't find any Vogueor Cosmopolitan issues; rather, he found Home and Garden, Mountain Living, Astronomy, and National Geographic. She had quite an interesting variety of reading material (little did he know about the journal collection cluttering up her home office). A large smile found its way across Daniel's lips when he came across the last magazine, which featured a cover story on yet another mystery of King Tut. He subscribed to the magazine himself, but this was the latest issue and he hadn't had a chance to read it yet.

As he browsed through the magazine, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside the kitchen. He certainly couldn't hear anything, so they must have been talking quite secretly about something.

_Probably about me_, he thought as his cheeks tinged with red. If he were anyone else, he would have strained his ears to try and hear what they were talking about or even gone up to the door and eavesdropped. But, Daniel was too polite and cared about Sam too much to ever try anything like that. He shook his head and sighed, directing his eyes down to the magazine's print.

* * *

Sam had made enough room to put whatever was in that big box into the fridge, and after Jacob took a peek inside to make sure she had enough food – much to Sam's chagrin – he gestured to the door at the rear of the small eat-in kitchen, leading out into her back yard.

Sam's eyes questioned him.

"Outside," Jacob mouthed silently, pointing to the door.

Sam was about to protest, but she realized her father wanted to talk about something important. Whatever it was, it was something he didn't want Daniel to hear in the least. She obediently followed him out the door, hoping that what he had to say wouldn't take too long, lest Daniel get suspicious.

They took a few feet from the back door and sat down at the small picnic table. She looked at her father expectantly.

He gazed at her for a few moments, apparently searching for the right words to start with.

"What were you thinking?" he asked quietly.

Sam looked at him incredulously. What was he saying, that he didn't think Daniel was good enough for her? He'd only met the man, and already he disliked him?

"Dad, what are you saying –"

Jacob held his hands up. "I'm talking about Joe," he said gently.

Sam inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"How could you date him when you had such a nice man who obviously cares quite a lot for you?" Jacob continued as he gestured back toward the door.

She looked into her father's eyes and was at a total loss for words. He'd asked her when he talked to her on the phone that morning, but she avoided it with the excuse that she had to leave for work. If she thought this was something he was bound to forget about, she was dead wrong.

"I …" she hesitated. Jacob's eyes weren't giving her any room for compromise. She couldn't avoid it forever. She'd been such an idiot, and she was suffering the consequences for it.

"This is hard for me to say, Dad," she began uneasily after taking a deep breath. "I … I went out with Joe, because I didn't think I could go out with Daniel." She blushed furiously as she finished her statement.

Jacob stared at her, almost dumbfounded by her admission. "What? What the hell does that mean?" he said quietly.

Sam shook her head, realizing that she wasn't making any sense. "At first, it was hard for me to think about dating Daniel, because we're such good friends. They've always told me, 'it's not a good idea to date your best friend.'"

Jacob's mouth was nearly hanging open in disbelief. "Who told you that?"

Sam shrugged awkwardly. "Friends," she muttered weakly.

Jacob shook his head sadly. "Don't go by what they're saying. They don't know what they're talking about."

Sam looked at him like a young girl who'd just been chastised for doing something naughty.

"That's just ridiculous, Sam," Jacob continued. "There's certainly nothing wrong with dating your best friend. How do you think I met your mother?"

His statement hit Sam like a ton of bricks. Both her mother and father had told her at different times in her life how they'd met, but they'd never gone so far as to tell her that they were best friends. Sam had always took it for granted that it was some overly hopeless romantic thing like love at first sight – that her father had met her mother and had just swept her off her feet at their first meeting and started off as lovers. Perhaps one of them had mentioned it to her in the past, but she'd conveniently forgotten about their friendship status.

She sighed heavily, aching as memories of her mother and of the accident struck her. She sat with her elbows propped up on the table and her head held up by her hands. Her eyes drifted downward as the emerald bracelet, which sat newly on her wrist, reminded her of its presence. Jacob seemed to take notice of it as well.

"Where did you get such a pretty thing from?" he asked.

"It's from Daniel," Sam replied, blushing faintly. "He gave it to me today … um … a birthday gift."

Jacob smiled warmly and nodded. This only reaffirmed his belief that Daniel was good for her.

"So, when is he going to propose?" he suddenly blurted out, his eyes twinkling.

Sam's eyes widened and she blushed madly. "Dad!" she exclaimed, taken aback.

"Shh," he admonished her. "You don't want him to hear us, do you?"

"Most of the windows are shut," she responded automatically. She'd been caught completely off guard by his question, not entirely sure if he was absolutely serious.

"Oh, my little girl is blushing," Jacob chuckled. "I must have struck a nerve there!"

Sam recovered slightly and shook her head, grinning. Her grin soon faded and there was a bit of an awkward silence between them.

"You love him, don't you?" Jacob finally asked.

Sam looked at Jacob before she averted her eyes and nodded.

"Yes," she muttered simply. "I do."

She looked back up at him and caught the faint smile that appeared on his lips. Sam realized how wrong she'd been before, and she suddenly felt very ashamed. Here she was, thirty-five years old today, and her father was talking to her as if she was eighteen again. She should have known better that the notion of not dating your best friend was indeed ridiculous. She didn't need to date Joe because she thought she couldn't have a relationship with Daniel. He'd told her to go with her instinct, and yet she was ignoring it when she had certain misgivings about Joe. Even though she already knew that she was quite an idiot for taking a chance with Joe, this talk with her father compounded that feeling and made her feel guiltier than ever.

She was unable to stop the tear that rolled slowly down her cheek, but she sniffled quietly to prevent others from following its path. God, she'd been so stupid. Sara and now her father both knew that she and Daniel were great together, and she'd been too blind to notice it.

"Why are you crying?" Jacob asked her gently.

Sam lifted her gaze up to him and sniffled, her cheeks still a lovely shade of rose. She was actually crying in front of her father, and it served her right.

"Oh, God, Dad, I was such an idiot," she blurted out, her voice trembling.

Jacob got up and came around to her side of the table, putting a comforting arm around her.

"I was such an idiot to think that Joe might have actually been a good guy, and to take such a chance with him, all because I thought it might be my last chance at happiness. Daniel was there the whole time, and because of that silly notion that I couldn't date him because he was only a friend, I … God, I was so pigheaded."

Jacob comforted his daughter by rubbing her back in slow, circular motions.

"It's okay, Sammie. It's done and over with now. We all make mistakes, but when we learn from them, it makes us better people. That's the most important thing, and you did learn from your mistake."

"That's what Daniel told me," Sam said sadly as she looked up at him.

"He's absolutely right," Jacob smiled. "All I want is for you to be happy, Sam."

Sam sniffled and gave him a watery smile in return.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, her voice muffled as he hugged her once again.

He patted her hair down and pulled apart from her. "Anytime, kid. Now, what say we get back in there before Daniel wonders what happened to us? I'm sure he thinks we've taken off for Tahiti or something," he chuckled.

Sam snickered and shook her head as she opened the door and stepped inside, Jacob following. They were in the kitchen only about three minutes when Daniel cautiously poked the door leading from the dining room open and peered inside. Sam and Jacob turned their heads sharply and looked at Daniel expectantly.

"Hey guys," he said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Sam blushed slightly, appearing like an ashamed little kid caught red-handed.

"Uh … no, it's okay, Daniel. I was just debating with Dad over what to make us for dinner," she said sheepishly.

Jacob caught on and followed her without missing a beat. "And I told you I would cook, Sam," he said insistently. "I saw that half chicken you have in there."

Sam was pretty sure that he was joking, but once she caught the slight wink he'd given her, she knew he was being perfectly serious.

"Please, Dad, you don't have to do this," she said.

Jacob shook his head. "In the first place, _you've _had a busy day yourself, and you could use a break. In the second place, it's your birthday. Are you saying no to a birthday dinner, Sam?"

Sam shrugged slightly, knowing that she wasn't really getting anywhere.

"And in the third place, I would imagine that the two of you would like some more time alone together," he finished, raising his eyebrows playfully.

Sam and Daniel exchanged a sheepish look as Jacob grinned.

"Okay, Dad, you win," Sam conceded, chuckling softly. "We'll be in the living room."

Jacob smiled. "You will not be disappointed," he declared as he removed a pan from one of the cabinets over the stove, and then began rummaging through Sam's freezer. "Now, please do not disturb the genius at work," he said in a mock smug tone of voice.

Sam rolled her eyes and smirked. "I'd hardly call it 'genius,'" she said wryly, snickering a bit as she and Daniel headed for the door.

"Watch your mouth, young lady," Jacob shot back playfully, his voice muffled due to the fact that he was still rummaging in the freezer.

* * *

Sam laughed softly as Daniel gave her a bit of a surprised look as they left the kitchen and headed for the living room couch.

"I was only kidding," she clarified. "He's actually quite a cook."

"Really," Daniel said curiously.

"Mmm-hmm. He didn't really cook very often when I was a little girl. Cooking out on the backyard grill during a barbeque was about the extent of his culinary faculties. After Mom died, he took it upon himself to learn how to cook more. It was almost as if he was trying to make up to my brother and I for what happened. I mean, that's not all he did, but it seemed as though it was part of it."

She stopped herself and glanced at Daniel. He was looking at her thoughtfully.

"I … I'm sorry, I'm probably not making much sense, am I –"

"No," he interrupted softly, shaking his head. "I know what you're saying. Since your mom was gone, he had to fulfill the roles of both a mother and father. It must not have been very easy, right?" He trailed off a bit as he turned his head away from Sam and toward the door leading to the kitchen.

Sam averted her eyes and nodded. "It wasn't. It was quite hard for him, especially in the beginning," she began grimly. "Mom was in a fatal car accident, and at first, my brother Mark and I both blamed him entirely for it. We didn't understand how hard it was for him, and how much he loved us that he continued to provide and care for us, until one night we heard him in his home office. We saw the light down the hall and figured he was just up late reading, but when we went further down the hall and saw that the door was partly open, we realized he had been crying. When we saw his face, we realized it had been harder for him than it was for us. We learned to forgive him. Actually it took Mark a bit longer, but I learned how hard the accident was on him, and how hard his job of raising us would now be. He regained my trust and respect, and he became a wonderful, doting father to us both." She finished her statement with an affectionate little chuckle.

Daniel gave her a warm smile and squeezed her arm. His smile faded when he noticed the tear stains on her face.

"Sam?" he asked curiously. "What happened?"

Sam was caught by surprise. "What?"

"Did something happen when you and your father were just talking before?"

Sam merely sniffled. Daniel lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.

"No, not really. We had a little talk before and he just emphasized something that everyone's been trying to tell me, but that I've been so blind about."

Daniel gave her a confused look before realization shone in his eyes. "Joe?" he asked quietly.

Sam nodded and sniffled again. "I hated myself for what poor judgment I demonstrated. It was so hard for me to tell him, because I know he loves me and wants the best for me. After all these years, I still don't want to let him down."

"Sam," Daniel began sympathetically. "I'm sure you didn't let him down. He really loves you; I could tell as soon as I stepped out of the car and watched him hug you. You're lucky to have a father who is so caring and understanding."

Sam sniffled and nodded.

"What is it going to take to get you to stop beating yourself up over this?" Daniel continued gently. "As I told you, we all make mistakes, but we redeem ourselves when we learn from them. You learned from this incident and you know that."

Sam looked into his eyes and saw the deep wisdom and clarity in them, similar to that which she found in her father's eyes. "He said something very close to that," she told him.

Daniel studied her face and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "He's a wise man," he finally answered. Sam gave him a half-hearted nod before he pulled her into a hug.

"Come on, cheer up. It's your birthday," he said kindly as he patted her on the back.

"Thanks, Daniel," she said into his shoulder.

Jacob stepped out of the kitchen and smiled upon finding the two of them in a warm embrace. He knew they had such wonderful chemistry, and he hated to break up this scene of bonding, but he'd just finished preparing dinner and they were ready to eat.

"Okay, you two, dinner is ready," he called out. Two pairs of blue eyes from across the room looked at him curiously, framed by two sets of rosy cheeks. Jacob chuckled inwardly and thought that their expressions were a priceless Kodak moment.

* * *

"That was really great, Dad," Sam exclaimed after she swallowed a forkful of cake.

Daniel, still chewing on his, nodded enthusiastically.

"I hoped you'd like it," Jacob said with false modesty.

"We did!" Sam insisted.

They'd enjoyed a quite delicious baked chicken, courtesy of Jacob. He'd cooked it in a few select seasonings, and added some carrots and potatoes as well. Sam had almost forgotten what a good cook he'd become, and she enjoyed every last bit. Even better, the meal was a little too big for the three of them, so she'd have some leftovers to enjoy.

Jacob had also surprised Sam with a very nice birthday cake: golden cake with chocolate pudding inside, and frosted with homemade whipped cream. The words "Happy Birthday Sam" were ornately written in pink icing.

She'd blushed ever so slightly as her father and Daniel at least attempted to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. When they were finished, Jacob prompted her to make a wish. She glanced for a fleeting second at Daniel and gave him a little smile before she turned back to the cake and blew the candles out.

Upon finding her father and Daniel done with their cake, Sam collected the plates and forks from them and headed toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Jacob asked.

"To wash the dishes," Sam replied.

"Please, let me do it," he insisted. "It's your birthday."

Sam sighed, frustrated. "Dad, it's nice of you, but you already went through all the trouble to make dinner for us. I have to accept some responsibility around here, and all that's left to do is wash the dishes."

Jacob shrugged and gave in. "Okay, kid, if you're sure."

"I am," she nodded. "Why don't you make yourselves comfortable on the couch?"

Daniel glanced at Jacob and nodded.

* * *

As Sam finished the dishes, she could hear Daniel and Jacob in the middle of conversation. She wished she could hear what they were saying, and she hoped that their conversation was positive. As soon as she headed for the door, their voices became hushed and they'd stopped speaking as soon as she opened the door and stuck her head out.

"What were you guys talking about?" Sam asked, smiling shyly.

"Oh, ah …" Daniel started nervously, glancing back at Jacob. "Nothing much," he finished once he realized he wasn't getting any help from the older man.

"Really?" Sam asked knowingly.

"Yep," Jacob replied. "Nothing but some really embarrassing moments from your childhood."

Sam's cheeks flamed. "Dad!"

Jacob chuckled. "I'm just kidding, Sammie. I wouldn't do that to you … yet, anyway. Daniel and I were having a nice chat."

"Oh," she said after a beat as she looked from her father to Daniel.

Jacob smiled. "Why don't you kids go for a walk or something?"

Sam glanced at Daniel, the two of them exchanging a look of surprise. "Oh … uh … yeah, I guess …"

"Sure, it seems like a nice night," Daniel agreed as he moved to pick himself up off the couch.

Sam nodded as he joined her and they made their way to the front door. "Don't wait up," she joked.

"You know I will," Jacob said with a wry smile. He chuckled and shook his head as they headed out the door.

* * *

Twilight was approaching as Sam guided Daniel down the street in a direction that was so familiar to her.

"What's down here?" Daniel asked her curiously.

Sam looked at him and smiled. "Remember when I told you about that special little place of mine, where hardly anyone else goes, with the little creek and the mountains in the distance?"

Daniel's brow knitted in confusion. "I remember you telling me about some private little place, but you didn't really go into much detail about it."

Sam nodded and didn't say a word until she led him down the end of the dead end street, and then down the little dirt path that led to the wonderful little place she spoke of. Daniel's mouth dropped open when he saw what stretched out in front of him.

The water moved slowly down the length of the little creek for a short distance, before the land sloped downward a bit and the water began to rush before it culminated in a mini waterfall. A ways before the waterfall, there was a small, wooden footbridge crossing the creek. In the distance were the unmistakable peaks of the Colorado Rockies. There was a full moon tonight, and in the moonlight a soft glow was cast over them, making them hauntingly beautiful.

"Close your mouth before something flies in there," Sam teased him. Daniel blushed as he abruptly shut his mouth. When he recovered, he chuckled softly and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry, it's just that I've never seen such a beautiful little place like this," he said softly as they stepped back and sat on the small bench.

"It's quite all right, Daniel," she smiled. "I have to admit that my initial reaction wasn't very far off."

Daniel returned the smile and pulled her closer to him.

"I was hoping I could share it with someone special," she said thoughtfully.

Daniel studied her face and her gorgeous eyes, and saw the deep sincerity and love for him in them. His lips twitched upward into a faint smile.

Sam looked into his eyes and noticed how haunting they looked in the moonlight. The deep, blue orbs appeared to be even deeper and bluer, and she felt them beckoning to her, begging her to immerse herself completely in them. She felt there was no going back, as she was completely convinced that she loved Daniel and wanted to be with him. She found herself edging closer and closer to him.

Daniel must have felt the same way, because he was bringing himself closer and closer to her until their lips joined and they partook in one of the deepest, most passionate kisses that either one of them had ever experienced. They held each other close and their hands began roaming once they were completely immersed in the kiss. Sam's hands found the back of Daniel's head, and her fingers were snaking through his long, soft hair. Daniel's hands had already succeeded in fingering Sam's hair, and were now caressing her bare shoulders.

Still locked in the kiss, Sam could feel Daniel about to collapse on top of her, and she eased down across the bench. She was lying with her head at the end, and Daniel on top of her, kissing her passionately as his tongue intertwined with her own as it roamed her throat. Sam's soft moan became louder and hungrier as she felt Daniel growing hard underneath his dress pants. She still had her fingers entangled in his hair and was, for lack of a better expression, "alive with pleasure," when a small feat of gravity interrupted as Daniel's glasses slid off his nose and hit her in the face.

Sam uttered a sound of exclamation as she became aware of Daniel's glasses lying lens-side up across her nose. She glanced up at a formerly bewildered, but now quite embarrassed, no-longer-bespectacled Daniel and fought the urge to laugh. Her efforts proved futile and she snorted before snickering uncontrollably.

Daniel looked at her curiously as he picked up his glasses, and then, much to her surprise, started laughing as well. They both sat up and fell against each other, laughing.

"It's times like this that make me wonder if I should opt for contacts," Daniel said wryly.

Sam laughed sympathetically. "Do you really need to wear those all the time?" she teased.

Daniel sighed melodramatically, causing her to laugh gently once again. He tilted her chin towards him and their lips met again for a sweet, small kiss. He pulled her close to him, and she rested her head against his chest. For a while they sat like that – in each other's arms as they gazed out at the foothills and the distant mountain peaks, and listened to the calm sound of the water spilling over the tiny waterfall.

"Happy Birthday, Sam," Daniel said softly.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jacob sat in front of the TV in the living room, his eyes glazing over as the 11 o'clock news began. He was hardly paying any attention to it, as he kept wondering what his little girl and her "boyfriend" were up to. He'd had a nice chat with Daniel while Sam did the dishes, and his suspicions about the younger man were confirmed: he was a sweet, polite, intelligent, and caring man who really loved his daughter. Daniel had told him a bit about what he did for a living, and, more importantly, how he and Sam first met. Jacob thought it was an amusing anecdote.

Now he sat, facing the television, but barely seeing or hearing that which was being broadcast. He thought about how long Sam and Daniel were gone, and his eyes widened when he realized it had been at least a few hours. A bit of fear welled up inside him, but he bit it back when he reminded himself of what a decent young man Daniel was, and he knew that his daughter was in good hands.

He needn't have agonized over it a second longer as he heard the sound of a doorknob twisting. Jacob shifted in the recliner and turned his head toward the front door as it opened and the pair entered. He bit back an amused grin when he took in their appearance. Sam's lipstick looked like it had been put on by Picasso, her hair was a bit disheveled, and her clothes were slightly rumpled. Daniel was blotting at his mouth with a napkin, apparently having got some of Sam's lipstick on him during their little escapade. His hair was also a bit disheveled and flopping over his eyes. Jacob chuckled inwardly and wondered when the last time he had gotten his hair cut was. To complete Daniel's untidy image, the first three buttons of his light gray dress shirt were unbuttoned, and the collar was all askew.

Jacob couldn't hold back any longer and grinned widely. Daniel took notice and immediately stuffed the tissue in his pants pocket, blushing faintly. Sam coughed quietly and blushed as well.

"Well, you two have been gone long enough," Jacob addressed them wryly.

Sam rolled her eyes and smirked. "You noticed."

Jacob nodded, slightly amused at his daughter's reaction. "I did. See this?" he asked as he pointed to the television screen. "It's the 11 o'clock news. Shame on you both," he teased.

Sam's blush deepened. "Come on, Dad, we're not in high school," she scoffed.

"Oh, really?" Jacob chuckled. "Well, from the way you two were acting when you came in here, blushing like schoolchildren, you could have fooled me."

Sam snorted and rolled her eyes. She glanced at Daniel and noticed that he was suddenly acting very shy and embarrassed; he wrapped his arms around himself protectively and seemed to take a keen interest in the wall-to-wall carpeting.

Jacob sensed his uneasiness and chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, Daniel, I'm just teasing."

Daniel kept his eyes on the floor and the corners of his mouth drew up slightly.

"Honest," Jacob insisted gently. "I trust you with my daughter. I know she loves you, and I'm glad she made the right decision."

Daniel's head shot up at that assertion and he stared at Jacob thoughtfully.

"Thank you, General Carter," he said softly as he nodded.

Jacob looked back at Daniel and a smile slowly spread across his face. It turned into a grin as he took in their disheveled appearance once again.

Daniel picked up on it and began to chuckle sheepishly. "I can't imagine that it's easy for you to trust me after we come in here, looking like this," he said ruefully as he pushed his hair back and out of his face.

Jacob shook his head dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad she's gotten comfortable with someone she truly loves. And believe me, there were times when your mom and I came back from long walks out at night in even worse condition," he chuckled sentimentally, addressing Sam.

Sam managed a slight smile and a quiet snicker. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and accidentally knocked into one of the end tables, sending a letter in an envelope sailing to the floor. She felt Daniel's eyes on her and her cheeks flushed as she bent over to pick it up.

She took one look at it and a little smile grew on her face when she realized it was the touching letter that Kelly had written to her.

"What's that?" Jacob questioned.

"Oh, uh … nothing," Sam said sheepishly, clearing her throat. "Just something from one of my students."

Jacob nodded. "Ah."

Daniel gave Sam a nice smile and headed over to one of the dining room chairs to reclaim his suit jacket.

"I should really be going now," he said regrettably as he pulled it on.

Sam's smile faded and she nodded slightly.

"Wow, 11:30 – is that the time already?" Jacob asked.

"Uh … yeah, it is," Sam remarked, a bit flustered.

Jacob edged up off his chair and made his way over to Daniel, smiling kindly.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Daniel," he said as he shook the younger man's hand. "I know I said it before, but I want to tell you in front of Sam: this relationship has my blessing. It means everything to me to see my little girl happy, especially when it's with a sweet young man like you."

Daniel stared at him thoughtfully, appearing very touched by Jacob's words. "Thanks, General Carter. That … that really means a lot," he said.

They didn't notice the brilliant smile on Sam's face as she looked on and fought to hold back tears.

Jacob's smile grew. "I'm off-duty now. You can call me Jacob."

Daniel blushed faintly and grinned. "Okay, Jacob – thanks, I really appreciate that."

"Anytime, Son," Jacob returned. "Actually, do you mind if I call you Danny?"

Daniel appeared a bit surprised, and then chuckled sheepishly. "Ah … no, no I don't mind at all."

"Okay, then, Danny," Jacob chuckled. "I'll be heading back out to D.C. early Monday, so I don't know when I'll see you again. The next time I have some leave coming up, I'll make sure to pay a visit. I trust you'll take good care of my daughter."

Sam blushed madly. "Dad, it's not as if we're newlyweds!" she said, taken aback.

Daniel felt a small ounce of disappointment well up within him, but it waned when he realized that Sam was absolutely right; they'd just entered into a committed relationship. He didn't know if they'd go as far as marriage ... yet, anyway. Of course, he loved her so much that it wasn't entirely out of the question, but it certainly wasn't something about which they'd given any thought.

Jacob presented them with a disarming smile. "You're right, I'm sorry, I'm jumping the gun."

Daniel gave him a slight shrug, and shook his hand once again.

"I'll walk you to your car Daniel, to … um …" Sam trailed off as she looked at her father and blushed. She cleared her throat before continuing. "… Say goodbye."

Daniel nodded and dug his car keys out of his pocket as Sam led him to the front door and outside.

"Your dad is a really nice guy, Sam. You're lucky to have him," Daniel said sincerely as they headed down her front walk.

"Thanks," Sam smiled.

"He called me 'Danny' … I couldn't get over that," Daniel said thoughtfully.

"Why?" Sam said curiously.

"It's …" Daniel stopped abruptly.

Sam's eyes begged him to continue.

"It's just silly," Daniel said sheepishly as he shook his head. "My mom used to call me that." He lowered his head and averted his eyes.

"Daniel, that's not silly," Sam said softly. She could tell that he was a little distressed.

He lifted his head and looked at her with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes.

"Do you really miss your parents, Daniel?" she asked carefully, trying not to pry.

Daniel gazed at her for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I do," he replied, averting his eyes.

Sam looked at him sadly.

"Especially my mom – I mean, she was a good mother to me. She had some objections to my going into teaching, but in the end, she realized it was what I wanted to do, and she at least accepted it. My dad was another story," he finished grimly.

"I'm sorry," she said after a beat.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly. "We just don't see eye to eye very often. He just about wrote me out of his life."

Sam's brow knitted in confusion. "What? Why?"

Daniel's head shot back up to look at her and she felt instant pity when she caught his deep blush.

"I'm sorry, Daniel, I guess it's really none of my business," she said apologetically.

"Don't be silly, Sam. We're in a serious relationship now. I've met your dad, so it's only fair that I tell you about my parents. I mean, I told you a bit about them when we first met, but I didn't really go into detail."

"You said that they were disappointed that you were only going to teach and that you weren't spending all your time out in the field," Sam said, remembering what Daniel had told her back then.

"Yeah, something like that," Daniel replied. "Kind of ironic how they spend a lot of their time in museums now, giving talks about this and that, and I'm spending a lot of time out in the field on digs with my students." He finished his statement with a short, bitter laugh.

"That's not right," Sam said quietly.

Daniel shrugged, as if it was something he'd come to terms with ages ago.

"Daniel, you miss them," Sam insisted.

"I miss my _mom_," Daniel corrected. "Even though she still had reservations about my chosen career path, she at least accepted it."

"Do you ever try to call her?" Sam asked.

"I tried a few times, when I was in Chicago and not long after I started teaching here. I could never get her on the phone. For all I know, Dad would hear my answering machine messages and erase them. Or, maybe they just didn't care, and decided to cut off all contact with me."

He felt Sam put her arm around him and pull him into a hug.

"Daniel, I'm so sorry," she said. "I wish I could help reunite you with them – talk some sense into them to mend this rift between you."

Daniel straightened up and pulled out of their hug. "Please, Sam, you don't have to. I wouldn't want you to go to all that trouble just for nothing."

"Just for nothing?" She repeated incredulously. "But, Daniel, it's your fami-"

He cut her off when he held his index finger up to her lips. "Please. I don't want to burden you with this. And if you don't think it could ever be a burden, just wait and see – you'll change your mind, I guarantee it."

Sam looked at Daniel, frustrated in wanting to help, but not being allowed to have the chance. She didn't want him to be angry with her at all, though, so she figured she'd better not go any further.

"Okay," she conceded softly.

Daniel's agitated expression melted and he gave her a faint smile. "I'm sorry, I know you want to help, but I really don't think it will do any good," he said.

Sam nodded.

"What is that?" he asked curiously as his eyes drifted down to the envelope she was still holding.

"Oh … um … it's a letter from one of my students. She just received her Masters degree and will be heading out to Stanford to work on her PhD. She wrote and thanked me for all I've done for her. It was quite a surprise and it was one of the nicest, sweetest things anyone has ever done for me." She fought back tears as she handed the letter to Daniel.

Daniel removed the letter from the envelope and read it. A smile spread across his face when he neared the end.

"That is really sweet of her," he said as he handed the letter back to her. "It's a great feeling when you can make a difference in someone's life like that … isn't it."

She studied his face and then managed a faint smile. "Yeah," she answered softly, nodding.

Daniel's smile grew. "I guess I better get going," he said after a pause.

Sam's smile faded and she nodded.

"It was nice meeting your father. He's a good guy," Daniel continued.

Sam's smile returned. "Thanks."

Daniel nodded before a thought suddenly came to him. "Will you be home this weekend?"

"Uh … yeah, I should be. Dad will be here until early Monday morning, so I guess we'll be doing some father-daughter things, but I should be home in the evenings."

"Oh, that's right," Daniel said, a bit flustered as he'd almost forgotten that Jacob was staying the weekend. "Can I call you tomorrow evening?"

"Sure," Sam nodded, her smile growing.

"Great," Daniel replied. He reached out and kissed her softly on the lips before engulfing her in one final embrace before he got into his car and drove away.

Sam was beaming as she walked slowly back up her front walk and into the house where her father had moved to the couch and was now flipping channels with the remote.

He heard the door close gently and he turned his head to catch sight of his daughter, blushing ever so slightly with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Well, that was a long 'goodbye,'" Jacob said as he grinned knowingly at Sam.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she shot back at him with a smirk on her face.

"I mean, with the way you two were going on out there, I was surprised that you didn't convince him to stay overnight," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

Sam's face turned bright crimson. "Dad, I …" she began, taken aback. " … I … you know I wouldn't do that. Sure, Daniel and I are very good friends, and we've just begun a serious relationship, but we're not at that stage … yet …" she trailed off awkwardly.

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Yet?" he repeated curiously. "Are you saying it may eventually come to that?"

"I … I don't know," she finished, still blushing madly and in disbelief that she was having this conversation with her father, rather than with one of her girlfriends. She lowered her head and began fidgeting nervously with her hands.

"Well, if it did, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it," Jacob blurted out.

With that, Sam's head flew up and she looked at her father incredulously. Did he just say what she thought he said?

"Dad?" she nearly choked out. "Wh-what are you saying?" she said quietly.

Jacob shot her an apologetic smile, thinking that she probably got the wrong idea. "All I'm saying is that, if you and Daniel were to become even more romantically involved than you seem to be now, to the point of marriage, I wouldn't mind."

Sam couldn't say a word; a part of her was happy that her father had taken to Daniel so well, and gave his blessing to their relationship, but a part of her was stunned that he actually mentioned the idea of marriage. It only proved to her how he admired Daniel, and that he thought Daniel was the right one for her. As she stared at her father, she thought she might cry.

Jacob's smile broadened. "As I said before, this relationship has my blessing. All I want is for you to be happy, Sam, and from what I've seen, Daniel makes you happy. He's a kind, caring, considerate young man, and you two couldn't be more perfect for each other. I'm glad that you've finally recognized it."

Tears stung Sam's eyes as she made her way up to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thanks, Dad," she said into his shoulder, her voice wavering.

Jacob held her and patted her back. He tried to fight back tears as well; happy that his daughter finally found someone she genuinely loved who genuinely loved her back. Granted, she had made some mistakes, but deep down he never doubted her, and was now as happy for her as a proud father could be.

* * *

Sam hummed happily to herself as she entered the mailroom and headed for her mailbox. It was now Monday morning. She'd had a nice weekend with her father – going out to dinner, going out for a drive to do some sight-seeing, and just sitting around, talking. He'd left earlier that morning, around 5:30 AM to be exact, as he was getting an early flight back to Washington. As they said their goodbyes, he promised he would call her as often as he could. He wasn't sure when he'd have any other leave coming up, but he jokingly told her that he hoped she and Daniel would be married the next time he saw her.

Daniel had called Saturday night, luckily while Jacob was in the shower. He'd reiterated how nice it was to meet her father, and he shyly admitted that he was glad Jacob had approved of him, and had given his blessing to their relationship. Sam grinned as she thought back to her conversation with him on the phone, not to mention the time they'd spent that Friday. She unconsciously began humming louder as she went through the pile of uninteresting mail that was found in her box.

Elizabeth Newcomb raised an eyebrow as she entered the mailroom and bore witness to Sam's more-cheerful-than-usual demeanor.

"Hey, Sam," she said with a slight note of suspicion in her voice. "Have a good weekend?"

Sam immediately stopped humming and turned quickly around to see Elizabeth looking at her curiously. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing, just that you seem to be in an awfully good mood," the other woman smirked.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," she conceded.

Elizabeth forced a smile. "Well, that's good to hear. You know, we missed you at the reception on Friday."

"Really?" Sam asked curiously. "I was there … for a little while … but, I had to leave and head over to Anthropology since a friend of mine in that department asked me to come by." Her cheeks suddenly flushed as she finished her statement.

"A friend, huh?" Elizabeth asked conspiratorially. "Why didn't you ever tell us about this, Sam?"

"Liz!" Sam exclaimed. "It's not a big deal, okay? He's just a friend – a colleague. Okay?"

Elizabeth smirked at Sam, seemingly unconvinced. Her eyes traveled down and she noticed Sam's wrist adorned with her new gift.

"Wow, that's pretty," she said as she fingered the small gemstones. "Where did you get that?"

"It was a gift from a friend," Sam answered tersely.

"Hmm, would this happen to be the same friend from Anthropology?" Elizabeth asked impishly.

Sam's blush deepened and she sputtered, not wanting to entertain the possibility that one of her friends from work might actually be aware of her relationship with Daniel.

"Hey … remember that guy from Anthropology who gave the talk during that Open Night some weeks back? He wouldn't happen to be your 'friend,' would he?" Elizabeth pressed, her tone revealing it was a question to which she already knew the answer.

"What makes you think that?" Sam asked innocently, though she wasn't fooling anyone.

"Well, you did give him a very nice introduction there …"

"I talk about _everyone_ that way!" Sam shot back defensively. "Uh … I mean … I don't introduce people that often, but I don't give anyone special treatment."

"But do you sit and stare at them like a lovesick teenager as they're talking, or practically run right up to them to get their attention after their talk is over, or talk intimately with them outside after everyone has gone?" Liz grinned.

Sam's jaw dropped to the floor and her face was on fire. "You saw us?" she asked, her voice taking on an eerily quiet tone.

Liz sighed, now thinking that she said too much and was encroaching on Sam's personal life. "I'd just said goodbye to Jeffrey and Bruce, and was heading for the parking lot when I saw you and … what was his name … Jackson, or something like that?"

"Jackson," Sam confirmed, nodding and still blushing deeply. "Daniel Jackson."

"Well, I saw you two talking and … I just stood there for a minute or two, just watching you both." Now Elizabeth was blushing as well.

Sam's eyes narrowed. "You heard us," she said, her voice tightening.

"No, no, I didn't!" Elizabeth insisted, shaking her head. I was too far away to hear anything that you said. I just saw you standing close to each other and talking, and that's all. To be honest, I thought it was kind of sweet."

Sam's hardened façade melted, and her lips twitched upward into a faint smile. Elizabeth was quite possibly her best friend in the department, and the last thing she wanted to do was fight with her. Moreover, she realized that she didn't have any reason to keep her relationship with Daniel a secret from anyone else, especially at the point it was now.

"Well, thanks," she finally replied.

"So, I take it that bracelet was from him?"

"Yes, it was," Sam smiled.

Elizabeth nodded. "Sounds like you guys are pretty serious."

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, 'pretty serious' covers it pretty well … but that's it, nothing more. I mean, we've only known each other for about a month and a half."

Elizabeth's eyebrows quickly shot up. "A month and a half? Well, you know, if the chemistry is there, the amount of time you've known each other doesn't make much difference. Look at me and Bill – we were only dating for two months before we got married."

Sam chuckled softly. "I guess you have a point."

Elizabeth smiled and squeezed her arm. "You know I do. Listen, I have to run. I have a meeting with a prospective graduate student for the fall semester. Have a good one."

"Thanks, Liz, same to you," Sam nodded before the other woman left the room. She looked down at the pile of mail in her hands, dropped it on the table and sighed. Now one of her closest friends at work knew she was involved with Daniel. She hoped that Liz wouldn't run around and tell her other colleagues about it, so that it would eventually spread to the rest of the campus including the Anthropology department, resulting in embarrassment for both her and Daniel.

_What am I worried about? They're bound to find out about it sooner or later_, she thought to herself, _especially as our relationship progresses into something more …_

Her face cracked open in a large smile upon that last thought, before she gathered up her mail once again and made her way out of the room.


	17. Chapter 17 Invitation

Chapter 17

Sam had just gotten through her nightly routine and was about to settle into bed when the phone rang at her bedside. She quickly glanced at her clock radio and furrowed her brow as she wondered who would be calling her close to 11 PM.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sam, it's me," the voice on the other end exclaimed.

Sam's eyes widened at first, and then the corners of her mouth edged upward when she recognized the voice.

"Hey, Sara," she said. "What's going on?"

"We have this thing planned, and …" Sara trailed off, then suddenly added, "I didn't wake you or anything, did I?"

"No, I was just getting settled into bed," Sam replied. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you." There was a slight hint of excitement in her voice.

"About what?"

"About what's been going on lately," Sam returned, her smile growing wider by the second.

"Well, you sound quite happy," Sara said amusedly.

Sam started to blush.

"How was your birthday?" Sara continued.

"Oh, it was nice. Uh … I had to attend the departmental graduation ceremony. One of my students wrote me a nice letter and left it in my mailbox. She just got her Masters and got accepted into the PhD program at Stanford. She thanked me for all the help I've given her – really sweet."

"Aw, that's nice," Sara remarked.

Sam smiled brilliantly. "I stayed a few minutes for the reception afterwards, and then I had to head over to Anthropology. Daniel invited me to join him at their graduation reception."

"Daniel, huh?" Sara asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "After it was over, we walked around outside and talked. And then he gave me a birthday present."

"Hmmm," Sara said playfully. "Should I wager a guess?"

Sam rolled her eyes and snorted. "It was a bracelet – an emerald bracelet … my birthstone."

"That's really sweet," Sara said after a beat.

"I know," Sam replied, glowing inside as she thought back to that moment when Daniel presented her with the gift, and what followed.

"Is that all?" Sara pressed.

Sam paused before an amused smirk formed on her face. "Yes."

"I don't believe you," Sara grumbled.

"Well, that's all I'm going to tell you," Sam said mischievously. She laughed slightly as she pictured Sara with a pouty expression.

"I'll bet it wasn't much anyway," Sara shot back.

"Says you," Sam muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Anyway, my dad had flown in that afternoon from D.C. and was waiting for us when we got back to my house."

"'Us'? Who's 'us'?" Sara asked curiously.

Sam felt the warmth come back into her cheeks. "Me and Daniel," she elaborated. "We decided that we're at the point in our friendship where we are both completely aware of our feelings for one another."

"So, in not as many words, you're both pretty serious," Sara cut in.

Sam paused before replying. "Yeah," she said quietly.

"Hey, that's great, Sam! From what you've told me, he seems like a really wonderful guy. I'm glad you two are finally together," Sara said happily.

"Thanks. Anyway, I thought it was only right for Daniel to meet my father, so he followed me home. Dad surprised me with a birthday dinner and dessert, and then shooed us out of the house so we could spend some more time alone."

Sara snickered softly. "I always thought your dad was a shrewd guy. So, what does he think of Daniel?" Sara pressed.

"Well, he really seems to have taken to Daniel," Sam replied, carefully choosing her words. "They had a little talk while I was doing the dishes, and Dad told me later that he thinks Daniel is a wonderful guy. He told us both that our relationship has his blessing."

"That's really great, Sam," Sara said softly after a beat.

"He didn't let me get off very easy, though," Sam said as she blushed again. "We had a little talk before that and he asked me what in the hell I was thinking – about Joe. He agreed with you that Daniel was the one for me, and that I didn't need to throw myself at Joe when Daniel was right there all the time."

"Whoa – throw yourself?" Sara asked incredulously. "Sam, I know you've been hard on yourself lately, but I wouldn't go _that_ far."

Sam sighed as a faint smile twitched at her lips. "I guess you're right."

"You know I'm right. So, I guess your Dad has gone back to D.C. already?" Sara asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, he had an early flight this morning. He wasn't sure if he'd be getting any more leave for a while, but I have his phone calls to look forward to," Sam replied.

"That's good. Anyway, about this thing that I have planned …"

"What?" Sam asked curiously.

"Are you going to be busy on June 7th?" Sara blurted out.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. "Um … what day is that?"

"Saturday."

Sam paused as she tried to remember her schedule. Failing that, she edged up out of bed and glanced over at the calendar on her wall. She flipped one page over to look at June. "No, not that I know of," she replied. "Why?"

"Well, we're having a little get-together at our house that day. We'll have some family and friends over – I guess you could say it's like a reunion. I was wondering if you and Daniel would like to come. It would be a great opportunity for us to finally meet him."

Sam's brow furrowed deeper. "How many people are you expecting?"

"Oh, not a whole lot," Sara replied. "They'll mostly be my family – my mom and dad, my two sisters, probably my nephew, a few old friends from college, and a few I've kept in touch with since high school."

Sam's ears perked up. "Like whom?" she asked.

"Oh, like Jill Tonsberg, Janet Fraiser …"

Sam smiled broadly. Janet Fraiser had also been a good friend of hers in high school. She was also a bit on the quiet side, but still slightly more outgoing than Sam was. "Janet? Janet's going to be there?" she asked.

"I just heard from her the other day. She'll be flying in from Tulsa for this," Sara said proudly.

"That's great, we have a lot of catching up to do," Sam continued, still smiling.

"You bet you do," Sara said jokingly. "So, can I count on you and Daniel to be there?"

Sam hesitated before answering. "I have to find out from Daniel if he has anything planned for that day. I mean, I really want to go, and I wouldn't doubt that he'd want to, but I don't want to make any plans for certain unless I'm absolutely sure."

"I understand," Sara said. "Just let me know when you can."

"Okay, I'll do that. Have a good night, Sara."

After she ended the conversation, she afforded another glance at the clock and wondered if she should call Daniel. It was almost 11:30 PM. She wasn't sure if she would see him the next day, so she thought she'd take a chance.

Daniel's phone rang three times before she heard him pick up.

"Hello?"

She instantly felt bad when she caught his sleepy tone. "Uh, hi, Daniel, it's me, Sam. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Oh, hi, Sam … ah, no … not really …" he trailed off awkwardly, knowing that she was aware he was lying.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "I guess it is very late, but I wanted to talk to you because I wasn't sure you'd be around tomorrow."

"I'll be on campus tomorrow, if that's what you mean," he interrupted. "I have to go through my mail, and then I'll be meeting some prospective graduate students for the fall semester. I should be free for lunch, though. You'll be around, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there a little later in the morning to go through my mail, and then attend an impromptu astrophysics seminar at 11. It should be over by noon."

"Okay, so do you want to meet at the food court around 12:30?" Daniel asked.

"Sure, that would be great," she replied brightly.

"Okay, it's a date, then," Daniel said, chuckling affectionately. "Sweet dreams, Sam."

Sam beamed. "Goodnight, Daniel."

She hung up the phone and then laid back, her head cradled by the soft pillow. For a few minutes, she stared up at the ceiling and her mind began to race with thoughts of going to Sara's party with Daniel – seeing her old friends again, finally meeting Sara's husband as well as some other members of her family, and introducing Daniel to them all. She wondered how it would go, and how they would react to him.

She shook her head slightly. Before she could even think of these things, she had to find out if she and Daniel could actually go, and more importantly, whether or not Daniel actually _wanted_ to go. She didn't want to disappoint her good friend, and she knew it was something she actually wanted to attend herself, but Daniel's feelings were just as important.

The clock reminded her of just how late it was getting, and she finally decided not to agonize over it any further. She would see Daniel the next day, and she would ask him if he wanted to go. Until then, there was no point in worrying about it. She sighed and finally shut the lights off, allowing the darkness and quiet to plunge her into a sound sleep.

* * *

Sam looked up from her slice of pizza and smiled as she saw Daniel approaching her table in the food court with a kind smile on his face.

"Hey," he greeted her softly as he sat down facing her.

Sam returned the smile. She gestured to another slice of cheese pizza and pushed the plate over to him.

Daniel blushed slightly, but his smile remained. "Thanks, you didn't have to do this, you know."

"Please, Daniel, it was nothing," she insisted gently.

He looked at her intently and his smile widened before he picked up the slice of pizza and began devouring it.

"A little hungry?" she teased, snickering softly.

"More than you know," Daniel said with his mouth full as he looked up from the pizza.

The look on his face and the fact that he was talking with his mouth full made Sam snicker even more. He waited until he swallowed his food before saying anything else.

"They had a sort of orientation in our department for the incoming graduate students, and they ended it with a lunch consisting of Italian and American heroes. I refused any offerings of food since I knew I was going to be meeting you. I guess it was a mistake." He blushed faintly.

Sam grinned playfully.

"So, ah … how was your morning?" he asked.

Sam shrugged. "I just sorted my mail, met a few new graduate students, and then attended that astrophysics seminar."

"How was that seminar?"

"Pretty boring, actually," Sam grinned. "You know when you read the title of a talk and it sounds really interesting? Then when the lecturer actually starts talking, it's something you've heard many times before, disguised as something new and exciting?"

Daniel grinned and nodded. "More times than I can count."

"That's what this was," she said. "God, I couldn't wait to get out of there. I probably should have up and left halfway through it, but you know me – polite and not wanting to hurt people."

Daniel looked at her and nodded slightly.

"How about you? What was your day like?" she asked.

"Oh, ah, not overly exciting at all. I had to give a little speech during the orientation for the incoming graduate students, and actually met a couple that were starting their work this summer. I'll be advising one of them."

"Really," Sam mused. "I guess you'll be pretty busy this summer, then?" Her smile faded and she felt disappointment begin pulling at her heart. They'd just entered a serious relationship, and now he was going to be busy advising a student. Would there be any time for them to spend together? She was hardly aware of how selfish her thoughts were right now. Advising students was part of Daniel's job, and she couldn't ask him to give that up. Still, she couldn't rid herself of the disappointment that began to plague her.

Daniel seemed to sense what she was thinking. "Not if I can help it," he returned as he looked into her eyes. "He's just starting out, so he's mostly looking up information in texts and journals at this point. I don't see any field work being done yet, at least not until later on in the summer. When I advise students, Sam, I usually only see them once or twice every few weeks. I don't follow any sort of rigid schedule, like once a week on a certain day for exactly two hours. If I know what you're thinking, there will be plenty of time for us. You have my word."

Sam studied his face and blushed, as she felt like kicking herself. How could she not trust him to keep on track with their relationship? Advising a student, especially one who was just starting out, wasn't a huge deal. Although Sam usually took on new students in the Fall or Spring semesters herself, some of her colleagues had begun to advise new students during the summer, and it wasn't as if they were extremely busy. That usually happened in the Fall or Spring when course loads were bigger, and when students were actually required to give practice talks detailing their research.

"I'm sorry; I'm so silly," Sam said regrettably as she looked into his eyes.

A faint smile tugged at Daniel's lips. "You have nothing to apologize for," he said quietly as he took her hands into his own.

Sam resisted the urge to hop across the table, grab him and kiss him passionately. After all, they were in the public realm that was the north campus' food court. Instead, she smiled back and muttered a barely audible "thanks."

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Daniel finally questioned.

"Oh, uh … I got a call last night from Sara, nosy as usual. She seems really happy that we've started seeing each other …" She trailed off and blushed before cutting herself off and beginning again. "Anyway, she told me that she and her husband are having a party at their house on June 7th," Sam began.

Daniel briefly raised his eyebrows.

"It's sort of like a little get-together with some of her family, as well as some old college friends and even a few from high school," she continued.

Daniel nodded.

"She wanted to know if we'd like to come," Sam said warily, afraid of what Daniel would think.

Daniel's brow furrowed slightly.

"She keeps saying that you sound like such a great guy, and she wants to finally meet you," Sam said sheepishly as her blush deepened.

Daniel raised his eyebrows once again and shrugged slightly. "When is this party supposed to be?" he asked.

"June 7th … it's a Saturday."

Daniel scrunched up his face, trying to remember if he had anything planned that day. Sam mistakenly thought that he was repulsed by the idea, and didn't want to be bothered.

"Look, if you don't want to go, it's okay," she assured him.

"No, no, I … I'm sure it would be great," he insisted. "I'm just trying to remember whether or not I'm doing anything that day …"

He reached into his blazer pocket and removed a small date book. He flipped ahead until he came upon the date in question.

"Well, I am now," he remarked once he finished writing something inside.

Sam looked at him inquisitively.

"I'm going with you to the party … I mean, _we're _going to the party," he clarified, giving her a small smile.

Sam's face cracked open in a wide, grateful smile. She quickly looked around to make sure no one was around. Finding that the area they were sitting in was pretty vacant, she made her way around the table and threw her arms around Daniel.

Daniel uttered a slight noise of surprise, causing Sam to step back and chuckle apologetically. "Sorry."

Daniel grinned at her and shrugged.

"I'm just a silly person, aren't I," she smirked.

Daniel shook his head. "No, you're not … I think you're cute," he said, chuckling affectionately.

Sam felt her cheeks grow hot and she smiled awkwardly. "Thanks," she said softly once she recovered. Daniel smiled warmly and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Sam looked him in the eyes and smiled. Her smile suddenly turned into a smirk.

"What?" he asked as he grinned at her.

"I was just thinking … you've been to my place, but I've never been to yours," Sam said impishly.

A sober look formed on Daniel's face and he suddenly averted his eyes, blushed and cleared his throat. "Oh, yeah …"

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly as she lowered her head so that she could look into his eyes.

He finally turned his gaze toward her, appearing almost like an ashamed little boy. "My … place isn't anything special," he said in spite of himself. "It's just a little apartment."

"That doesn't make any difference to me," Sam assured him. "I'd still like to see it."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he studied her face. "I guess _I'm_ being silly now. You would have had to see it sooner or later … it's not as if I can hide it from you forever."

Sam shook her head. "Please, I'm sure it's not that bad."

Daniel shrugged slightly. "Okay, I'll let you be the judge," he said resignedly as he took out a piece of paper and wrote his address down for Sam.

He shyly handed it to her, and her eyes widened in realization as she read it.

"You're on North Circle Drive? You're not far from Sara," she said.

Daniel looked at her expectantly.

"Um, she's on Yuma Street – off of East Yampa, near Betty Krouse Park," Sam continued.

Daniel furrowed his brow before his eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, I think I have an idea of where that is. I'm further north on North Circle Drive, though."

"I'm on Westmoreland, so you're still closer to Sara," Sam added.

A knowing look formed on Daniel's face. "I think I know where you're going with this," he said slowly, adopting a slight smirk.

Sam blushed faintly.

"So, if I'm right, why don't you come by a little early, and I can show you my apartment?" he asked hopefully.

Sam's blush deepened slightly, making her appear embarrassed.

"What time is the party?" Daniel asked.

"11 AM," Sam replied.

"Why don't you come a little early, say around 10, and I can give you a grand tour – such as it is – and then make some coffee for us? Then we can head over to Sara's house," he said.

Sam mulled it over for a moment and then nodded. "That sounds great, Daniel," she smiled.

"Okay, Saturday, June 7th, 10 AM at my place it is," he smiled back.

"Sounds perfect," she gushed before leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Daniel's face lit up and it made her chuckle softly. "Well, I better get going," she said softly.

Daniel nodded. "Can I call you tonight?" he asked.

Sam nodded. "I don't have anything planned. Actually I was thinking of heading down to Blockbuster and curling up on the couch with a good video."

"Make it an Indiana Jones movie and I'm there," Daniel grinned.

Sam returned his grin. "Okay, mister, you've got yourself a deal."

* * *

Sam briefly looked down at herself as she walked toward Daniel's apartment complex, hoping that she was dressed okay. Sara had told her that the get-together was basically a barbeque, so she only needed to dress casually. She ended up wearing a white, short-sleeved top with lace at the neckline and hems of the sleeves, and a light blue pair of culottes. It was quite warm on this early June day, even for late morning, so at least she was dressed appropriately for the weather.

She stood and looked up at the brick façade of Daniel's apartment complex. After knowing him for just over two months, she was finally going to see what his place looked like. She chuckled as she remembered how reluctant he appeared to be to show it to her. She didn't think it could possibly be that bad.

It had been just over two weeks since she'd first told him about the party, and now the day had come. She was going to introduce him to Sara and show him off, so to speak. A small grin of anticipation made its way across her lips as she entered the building through the front doors and headed for the elevator.

Once on the fourth floor, she made her way to apartment 411 and knocked timidly. She stood and looked at her watch nervously before the door finally opened five minutes later.

A smile grew on her face when Daniel stepped out from behind the door. He was wearing a blue, long-sleeved button down shirt and a pair of khaki pants. His hair was slightly damp, especially on the ends, and his glasses had slipped down his nose before he pushed them back up.

"Hey, Sam," he greeted her with a friendly smile.

"I'm not too early, am I?" she asked.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no … you were going to come at 10, weren't you?"

Sam quickly glanced back down at her watch and realized it was five minutes after 10. She dumbly nodded.

"I just finished getting ready," he told her. "I was just about to make some coffee, so come on in."

Sam smiled and walked past Daniel into his apartment. She looked around, almost in awe of the motif that presented itself to her. To her right was a small, mahogany bookcase filled with assorted books. On top of it sat two small, rusted copper statues in the shape of dragons, as well as a small, brass lamp with a skull at its base. Sam raised her eyebrows curiously.

Daniel hung back by the door as she made her way into his living room. The dark, wood paneled walls were adorned with several mythological paintings and plates that were decorated in such a fashion that they looked like they were created by some ancient civilization. Along the right wall was an even larger bookcase, filled with archaeological books, as well as what appeared to be journals. Sam took a few steps over to the bookcase and looked curiously at that particular row of books.

Daniel cleared his throat nervously. "Oh, ah, those are just expedition journals," he informed her, hoping that she wouldn't actually pick one up and start reading through it.

She nearly jumped when she realized he was standing behind her. She caught herself in time and nodded. She then directed her attention away from the bookcase and toward the large, wood-burning fireplace, the sides and back of which were lined with a bricks in a herringbone pattern. Sam loved its traditional appearance, and grinned inwardly as she remembered that a home with a fireplace was something she'd always wanted since she was a kid.

She shrugged herself out of it as she looked at the artifacts that sat on top of the mantle. There were a few more small statues, as well as the odd vase. Yes, this was definitely the home of an archaeologist. To complete the image, there was a picture in a frame of what appeared to be Daniel riding a camel, with one of the Great Pyramids off in the distance.

"That was … you?" she asked him, dumbfounded and surprised to learn that he'd actually been there at some time.

"Oh, yeah," Daniel nodded sheepishly. "That was me in Egypt, about ten years ago. I was in graduate school then, and was doing field work as part of the research for one of my dissertations."

"Wow," Sam remarked quietly.

Daniel gave a small shrug. "It's not the first time I've been there. I used to accompany my parents on digs quite a lot when I was very young. They'd always give me plenty to do, like try my hand at excavating my own artifact – digging it out of the matrix material carefully with something like a dentist's pick," he chuckled sentimentally.

Bringing up his parents and his happier relationship with them momentarily brought back bitter feelings and his face fell. He looked over at Sam and watched her head over to his rather large, rectangular fish tank. She nearly had her face up against the glass, watching the brightly colored fish swim to and fro. Daniel's bitter feelings dispelled and his face lit up in a grin.

"Oh, you just reminded me," he began. Before she could say anything, he opened the door to the credenza upon which the fish tank sat, and removed a small container of fish food. He removed a pinch of the food and sprinkled it into the top of the tank.

"Here you go, guys," he said cutely before the fish scrambled upward to partake in their meal.

He caught Sam grinning at him and he blushed somewhat.

"They're really beautiful," Sam remarked.

Daniel nodded. "That's all I was allowed to have in my apartment … well, except for cats, and I'm allergic to them, so …" he trailed off.

Sam nodded. She directed her attention to an interesting piece that stood on the mantle of the fireplace. It looked almost like a small chess game, or like one of those Hi-Q games that she and her brother would play with when they were kids.

"Oh, that's a game from ancient Egypt called 'The Jackal and the Hound'," Daniel explained to her. "Actually, it's a replica of a game from ancient Egypt that once belonged to a pharaoh's daughter. Back in Chicago, I taught one of my friends how to play it and we played once or twice. It almost felt like touching history …"

He trailed off when he saw Sam staring at him intently.

"… and I'm probably boring you with this, aren't I?" he said, self-effacingly.

"No, not at all," Sam insisted quietly. "I think it's very interesting. I've always loved reading about ancient Egypt and things like that."

A warm smile spread across Daniel's face. It felt good to know that she at least appreciated his interests. Remembering that she subscribed to National Geographic only confirmed it.

The percolating of the coffee maker in the kitchen interrupted, prompting him to excuse himself and head for the kitchen. Sam watched him walk briskly away for a moment, and then decided to follow him.

Daniel's eat-in kitchen was a bit smaller than hers, but was a nice little kitchen nonetheless, featuring pale yellow walls with white trim. It seemed to be a contrast from the darker, eclectic look of his living room.

Daniel turned away from the coffee maker and carried two cups of hot coffee to the small, oak table. He handed one of the cups to her and gestured for her to sit down.

"So, who's going to be at this party again?" he asked her as he poured some cream into his coffee and then handed the carton to her.

"Oh … uh … well, there's Sara's parents, her sisters, I think her nephew, some of her college friends and a few friends of ours from high school … oh, and of course her husband, Jack," Sam replied before taking a sip of coffee.

Daniel nodded. "What does Sara do?" he asked curiously.

"She owns and runs a flower shop downtown called Bloomin' Beauties," Sam said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "She has a few people working for her. She's an expert on flower arrangements for weddings, and does consultations on them as well. Actually, she tells me that it drives her crazy half the time," she laughed weakly.

Daniel smiled. "What about her husband?" he suddenly asked.

Sam's brow knitted in confusion. "I'm not really sure, actually. He runs his own business too … actually I think it has something to do with airplanes … maybe flying charter flights for people – small planes. I have to ask Sara again."

Daniel nodded. "You said that some of your high school friends are coming?"

"Yeah, I think it's our friends Jill and Janet. They were important members of my little circle of friends that included Sara. After we graduated, we pretty much lost touch. Jill still lives in Maryland, and Janet moved to Oklahoma to attend college. She'd call me every now and then when I still lived in D.C., but after moving to Colorado we just lost touch." There was a touch of regret in her voice.

"That's too bad," Daniel said softly. "I have friends whom I haven't spoken to in ages. Steven is pretty much the oldest friend whom I'm still close to. I know what it feels like to lose touch with friends and people you love …" His voice trailed off and he noticed Sam looking at him pitifully. His cheeks flamed when he realized that he was getting dangerously close to bringing up his parents once again, and he didn't want Sam to think he was harping on it.

"Ah … anyway," he cleared his throat, "I guess it's about time we start heading over there, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," Sam confirmed as she looked at her watch. She took a final sip of coffee before Daniel collected the cup from her and stuck the two cups in the sink. He raced into the bathroom and gave himself a final once-over in the mirror, quickly ran a comb through his hair and rejoined Sam who was waiting at the door for him.

He smiled at her as the exited the apartment, and he turned back once to lock the door before they headed for the elevators.

"I almost forgot to ask," Daniel began. "How long is this party, exactly?"

"Sara said something about 7 PM," she replied. "I guess they're having both lunch and dinner … or a very late lunch."

Daniel nodded as the elevator announced its arrival at the ground floor with a chime sound. They stepped out and headed for the parking lot in back of the building, where his blue Pontiac was waiting. He opened the passenger door for Sam, who was pleasantly surprised at his chivalrous nature. He got in on the other side and gave her a quick little smile.

"Ready?" he asked.

Sam grinned. "Ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

Daniel chuckled softly and then turned straight ahead as he turned on the ignition.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A/N: Jack may seem very obnoxious here, but have no fear - he will redeem himself later on. Thanks to Alison for the beta!

Sam had been correct; Daniel's place was right on the way to Sara's house and the drive was a relatively short one. They studied the smallish, one-story brown house on the right side of the street and Sam checked the piece of paper on which Sara had written her address quite a few years ago.

"152 Yuma Street – this is it," she confirmed as she turned back to Daniel.

Daniel nodded and scanned the street looking for a space to park. It seemed that, even though they were a bit early, there were quite a few people already at the house. Daniel snorted softly as he realized he'd have to park about three houses down. Sam didn't seem to mind much, though, so he gave a small, resigned shrug before driving up and parking next to the curb.

Sara's love for flowers and gardening was on display as they traversed the brick walk, lined on both sides by various small shrubs and perennials in a well-manicured landscape. Sam smiled slightly and silently berated herself for not ever visiting Sara before. She blushed faintly as she felt Daniel put his hand on her back and, when she turned to face him, he was smiling almost affectionately at her.

She was about to knock when the door was suddenly pulled open and Sara greeted her with a surprised look.

"Sam!" she exclaimed, smiling. "You're here!"

Sam grinned and nodded.

"Come on in," Sara chuckled.

With that, she opened the door further and stepped back to allow Sam and Daniel entrance. Sam looked around once they stepped in, seemingly impressed by the house's interior. She moved away from the foyer and took a few steps down into the sunken living room. The windows were nearly floor-to-ceiling, affording a lovely view of the trees at the front and side of the house. There was a large fireplace, a bit similar to the one in Daniel's apartment, the mantle of which was adorned with a few photos of Sara and her husband, as well as a plaque with a fish mounted on it. To the left was a sliding door that led out onto a deck. A low wall separated a small dining room and a kitchen, just a few steps up.

Sara grinned as she watched Sam stroll about the house in quiet awe.

"Sara, this place is beautiful," she said, once she'd rejoined Sara. As for Daniel, he'd pretty much stayed put in the foyer, getting a glimpse of the rooms from there.

"Thanks, Sam," Sara smiled. "I bet you're wondering now why you stayed away from this place for so long, eh?" she teased.

Sam's face flushed as Sara laughed gently. She stopped when she finally really noticed Daniel at Sam's side. She raised her eyebrows in Sam's direction.

"Oh, um … Sara, this is Dr. Daniel Jackson," Sam said, her voice tinged with nervousness.

Sara smiled broadly as she shook Daniel's hand. "Sam's told me so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you finally," she said warmly.

Daniel smiled shyly and nodded. "Sam's told me a lot about you, too," he said.

Sara raised an eyebrow and shot a meaningful glance at Sam.

"Nothing bad," Sam smirked.

Sara grinned. "Well, come on, everyone's out on the deck, or in the back."

Sam and Daniel nodded. Sara was about to lead them out onto the deck when the sliding door slammed shut, and a man took a few, long strides into the living room. He was tall, thin but well-built, had deep brown eyes, and short, brown hair that was graying a bit at the temples.

"I'm just about to start the burgers, Sara …" he began. He trailed off when he noticed Sara's company and looked at them curiously.

"That's great, Jack," she said as she turned to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She turned back to a curious Sam and Daniel.

"I take it this is …?" Sam began.

"My husband, Jack," Sara returned.

Sam nodded and smiled cordially.

"This is my good, old friend, Sam Carter and her … um … beau … Daniel Jackson," Sara addressed Jack.

He turned to her and gave her a quizzical look. "What?"

"Boyfriend," Sara clarified. Her choice of words made Sam start blushing. She momentarily put her head down so that no one would notice.

"Ah," Jack replied. "Nice to meet ya," he said genially. He offered his hand to Daniel, who hesitated shyly at first, but then shook it politely.

Jack's smile faded when he looked Daniel over. "Aren't you hot in that?" he asked, gesturing to Daniel's long-sleeved shirt.

Daniel stared at him curiously. "No," he answered.

Jack gave him a slightly odd look but then merely shrugged. He turned to Sam and gave her a warm smile. "So, you're Sara's old friend, huh?" he asked.

Sam timidly nodded. "Yeah, we've been friends since high school," she replied quietly.

"Wow, you guys go back a long way," Jack mused.

Sam nodded again and looked tentatively at Jack, who was smiling and offering his hand to her. She obliged and, for a moment, couldn't help but notice the way he shook her hand. It was a slow, hearty handshake compared to the one he'd just given Daniel, and the way he held onto her hand was almost as if he didn't want to let go. She then decided she was being paranoid and shrugged herself out of it as he relaxed his grip and let go.

"It's quite a place you've got here," Daniel broke in.

"Eh," Jack shrugged. "It's good enough to call 'home.' I have my deck, my fireplace, and my telescope up top, and, as far as I'm concerned, it's enough."

Daniel walked over to the mantle and pointed to the plaque with the fish mounted on it. "I hate to sound ignorant or anything, but … ah … you fish in Colorado Springs?"

Jack looked at him incredulously, not believing his ears for a second. "You're kidding, right?"

Daniel's inquisitive look told him that he wasn't kidding. "Jack's originally from Minnesota, and fishing is one of his passions. We have a cabin on the lake up there," Sara filled in. "We usually go up there for a week or two during the summer so Jack can have his fix."

"Oh, yah, nothin' beats sitting out on the dock with a six-pack of beer, catchin' a few sunnies," Jack said wistfully.

"Yeah, you catch the sunnies and I get eaten alive by nuclear mosquitoes and horseflies," Sara snorted.

Daniel winced.

Jack brushed her comment off and changed the subject. "So, Sam, what do you do?" he asked.

"Oh … uh … I'm an assistant professor of astrophysics at UCCS," she replied.

"Huh, astrophysics, that's interesting," Jack mused. "Besides fishing, one of my real passions is astronomy. I could sit up there, gazing at the stars and planets through my telescope for hours."

Sara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You have any idea how hard it is to get him to come to bed on some nights?"

"Ah … no," Daniel replied awkwardly. Sam had to bite back a snicker at his comment.

Jack shot Sara a quick glare. He turned back to Sam and Daniel. "Don't pay any attention to her, Donald, she's just feeling extra cheeky today," he said dryly.

"Daniel," Daniel corrected him.

"Sorry," Jack returned. "So, what do you do, Daniel?"

Daniel opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Jack broke in again with, "Does anyone ever call you Danny?"

Daniel was a bit surprised by the question and he looked at Jack incredulously. "Ah … not really, my mom would, sometimes, but …"

"Ah, Danny it is, then!" Jack interrupted playfully. "Danny Boy!"

Daniel chuckled politely at first, but it was clear that he felt awkward. Jack then launched loudly into "Danny Boy," singing the first verse in a very melodramatic way, complete with an exaggerated Irish brogue:

"Oh Da-nny Boyyyyyyyy … the pipes, the pipes, are cahhhhh-ahhhh-liiinnnnnnggggg…."

Sara rolled her eyes and put her hands to her ears mockingly before breaking out into giggles. "Jack," she talked over him.

Jack heard her and abruptly stopped singing. "What?" he asked innocently.

"Knock it off," she grinned impishly.

"Hey, I can't help it, I'm an Irishman!" he shrugged.

"But your singing is torture!" Sara exclaimed with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Torture?" Jack retorted. "You've never said that before."

"Well, I'm saying it now. Look at poor Daniel. You're embarrassing him." She gestured to Daniel who had turned a bright shade of red and was staring at the floor.

Jack chuckled and gave Daniel an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Daniel. That's one of my other passions – being a smartass."

Daniel lifted his gaze to Jack and smiled faintly, giving a little shrug. Sam went up to him, gave him a kiss on the cheek and rubbed his arm.

"So, how did you two meet?" Sara asked.

Sam looked at her incredulously, certain that she'd told Sara the story.

"Sam only told me that you 'ran into each other' at that coffee shop. She wouldn't tell me the real story," Sara continued with a smirk.

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed softly.

"Actually, she's right," Daniel said.

Sara looked at him curiously before adopting a knowing look. "Oh, sure. You guys are hiding something juicy, aren't you?"

"No, we aren't!" Daniel insisted hotly. He hoped that he wouldn't have to go into detail about how he and Sam met, as it was still quite embarrassing, but Sara and Jack's expectant looks wouldn't let up. He took a deep breath. "We did just 'run into each other' … only I ran into her with a cup of hot coffee … someone bumped into me and I hit the side of her booth, spilling hot coffee on her." He trailed off and winced, blushing madly.

Sara and Jack stared at him before Jack snorted, amused, and Sara began to snicker. Daniel turned to Sam and gave her a look of utter misery. Sam gave him a slight smile, her eyes tinged with pity before she turned back to her friends.

"By the way, how did _you_ meet?" she asked, adopting a protective air as she threw their question back at them.

Sara and Jack immediately sobered up.

"It's only fair that you tell us now," Sam pressed.

Sara looked at Jack and then turned back to Sam and Daniel. "I moved here to Colorado to attend CSU Pueblo," she began. "Two years after I graduated, I met Jack. His family had moved to Colorado back when his dad was stationed at Peterson Air Force Base."

Sam's ears perked up at this. "Your dad was in the Air Force?" she asked Jack.

"He was a General," Jack said.

"My dad is a General, actually," Sam exclaimed. "He's at the Pentagon, though – General Jacob Carter."

Jack shook his head. "Never heard of him."

Sam looked at him and then shrugged awkwardly.

"Anyway," Sara continued. "He went to school here and studied aeronautics – or aerospace, right?" She turned to Jack and he confirmed it with a nod. "Some friends and I were going to take a little flight one evening on a charter plane, you know, just up around the Rockies. Our pilot was a great, young guy with a sharp sense of humor that I just found so sexy. He gave us an amazing ride."

Daniel looked at Jack blankly.

"That's what I do. I own a little business that flies small charter planes for people and I'm a certified flight instructor," Jack told him.

Daniel nodded. "Ah," he said quietly.

"After the flight ended my friends took off and I hung back since I wanted to talk some more to him. He confirmed my suspicions that he was a wonderful guy. We got really friendly and started going out. On nice evenings, he'd take me up for flights around the mountains, just the two of us. Being up so high in the sky like that, with those beautiful, majestic peaks spread out below us, it was just amazing. About a year later, we got married, and it'll be ten years in October."

Sam smiled warmly at them. "That's so nice, Sara."

Sara nodded and smiled at Jack, who turned and gave her a quick little kiss.

"Oh, Daniel, I don't think you ever told me what you do for a living," he suddenly said as he turned back to them.

"You didn't give me a chance," Daniel muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing … I'm also a professor at UCCS … professor of anthropology."

"Anthropology?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows.

Daniel grinned inwardly, thinking that Jack wasn't exactly book smart and finding it rather amusing for some reason. He cleared his throat before saying, "Ah, yeah, basically archaeology, though I can teach other cultural anthropology courses. I have a couple of PhDs in archaeology and linguistics …" He trailed off, blushing as he realized he didn't sound very humble.

"Huh. In other words, you're a geek," Jack said bluntly.

Daniel blushed even deeper and seemed to take a bit of offense at Jack's remark. He gave Jack what barely passed as a glare before withdrawing into himself and wrapping his arms protectively around himself.

"Jack," Sara admonished him.

"What, that bothers you?" he addressed Daniel. Daniel merely lifted his head slightly and looked at Jack intently.

"Gosh, I'm sorry. I just keep stepping in it, don't I?" Jack said with a touch of regret in his voice.

"It's okay," Daniel said, barely audible.

"I better get started at the ol' chuck wagon," Jack said, gesturing to the grill on the deck.

"Oh, yeah," Sara started. "Come on, you guys, everyone's out there."

Sam and Daniel nodded and followed them outside.

* * *

Sam became a bit shy when she and Daniel joined Sara and Jack on the deck. There were quite a few people out there, including a few that she didn't know. These were Sara's friends from college, whom she introduced to Sam as Jack manned the grill. She thought she recognized Sara's parents, though it had been a while since she'd seen them.  
They were certainly grayer, but still warm as ever. She realized how much time had passed when she saw Sara's sisters, both looking quite a bit older. Sara also introduced her to Thomas, her twenty-four-year-old nephew. He was standing next to a girl around his age, who Sam presumed to be either his girlfriend or even his sister. Daniel felt a bit awkward and elected to wet his whistle while Sam made the rounds.

She tried her best to mingle with these people, however uncomfortably, before she found a familiar face. It was her old friend, Jill Tonsberg, now Jill Brondstedt. She had married eight years ago and, as she talked to Sam, her husband sidled up to her in time to be introduced. Sara had set up a portable stereo outside on which to play CDs and the strains of modern or alternative rock soon filled the air. Sam ignored it as she tried to reminisce about old times with Jill. She didn't get very far as Jill's husband showered her with lots of affection and distracted her.

She frowned as Jill was no longer paying attention to her and, as a result, Sam's eyes sought Daniel out. He was standing next to a picnic table and sipping iced tea from a plastic cup. He chatted with a few people every so often but, truth be told, he looked utterly bored. A smile grew on Sam's face and she made her way back to him.

Daniel gave her a little smile when he saw her approaching. "How's it going?" he asked, once he'd swallowed his tea.

Sam shook her head. "I caught up with my friend, Jill, and we started talking about the times we had in high school, but her husband is really keen on public displays of affection. He was all over her."

Daniel raised his eyebrows quickly. "Really."

Sam managed a slight grin and nodded. "She became too engrossed in him to bother talking," she said dryly.

"How utterly rude," Daniel said in a tone of mock disgust.

Sam snickered. "How are you doing?"

Daniel shrugged. "The iced tea is good," he conceded.

"What? You're having that bad a time?"

Daniel smiled and shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just that I don't know anyone here. I talked to a few people, but it was just polite small talk. Then Jack came over here, saw me drinking the iced tea, and asked if I wanted a beer." He blushed faintly before continuing. "He seemed almost in disbelief when I refused it."

"You don't drink beer?"

Daniel shrugged. "Not very often. That stuff usually goes straight to my head and I didn't want to make a fool out of myself or anything …" he trailed off, embarrassed.

Sam gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. I feel the same way."

She cut herself off when she heard a familiar voice behind her and turned her head. Her eyes widened and a broad smile appeared on her face when she recognized her friend, Janet Fraiser. She was a petite woman of about five foot two, with large, brown eyes and auburn hair that ended just past her shoulders.

"I want you to meet someone," Sam smiled when she turned back to Daniel. She made her way over to Janet with Daniel obediently following.

"Janet?" Sam exclaimed, trying to get Janet's attention as she talked to Jill and her husband.

Janet quickly turned, and upon recognizing Sam, smiled widely.

"Sam?" she said, nearly in disbelief as she broke away from her other friend and made her way over to Sam. Sam nodded and her face lit up in a broad smile. The two friends embraced tightly.

"Oh my God, it is so good to see you!" Janet exclaimed when she stepped back from Sam. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Neither have you," Sam returned, chuckling affectionately.

"So, what are you doing in Colorado?" Janet questioned. "Last I heard, you were teaching at GWU."

"Oh, well, I got an offer for an assistant professorship at UCCS. I was only adjunct faculty at GWU. I work full-time now, the pay is a bit better, and I really love working there."

Janet smiled. "How's your dad? I take it he's still at the Pentagon?"

Sam nodded. "He's doing fine. I saw him nearly a month ago, actually. He had some leave, so he flew out here to be with me on my birthday."

"That's sweet," Janet replied.

Sam smiled and nodded. "Wow, Janet Fraiser, it's great to see you again after all these years," she said thoughtfully.

"Actually it's Janet Romano now," she corrected Sam with a faint smile.

Sam nearly gaped at her friend, surprised that she'd also gotten married and perhaps feeling a bit of resentment over the fact that both her old friends from high school were married, and she wasn't. She knew that sounded quite selfish, but at the moment she didn't care.

"You too?" she blurted out a touch incredulously. Her tone was dangerously bordering on snide.

Janet looked at her oddly, as did Daniel, and she realized how ridiculous she sounded. Her face became flushed almost to her ears and she cleared her throat. "Uh … I mean … I'm just surprised. It's been quite a while since we talked. I just found out Jill is married now too …" she trailed off awkwardly.

Janet quickly glanced over at Jill, who was still being quite affectionate with her husband, and smirked.

"When?" Sam asked Janet with a smile.

Janet directed her attention back to Sam. "We were married four years ago." Noticing Daniel's bewildered look, she continued, "I'm an EMT. One day I was radioed to an accident on Route 11 just outside of Tulsa. A man's brakes went out on his car and then he lost control of his steering and ended up in oncoming traffic. A minivan plowed right into him. No one in the van was hurt badly, but his car was pretty banged up. He was unconscious when I arrived and suffered a concussion, broken arm and collarbone, and a punctured lung. He was lucky it wasn't worse than that. I saw him several times during his stay at the hospital. I don't know how it happened exactly, but we became good friends. After he recovered completely, we started dating. We were married a little more than a year later." She smiled happily.

Sam smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Janet. So, is he here? I'd love to meet him," she asked as she looked around.

"Oh, no, Robert couldn't make it," Janet replied. "He had to fly out to Miami for a conference on environmental remediation."

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion.

"He's an environmental engineer," Janet supplied. "He couldn't change his plans and I certainly wasn't going to change mine. He'll be back on Monday."

"How long are you staying?"

"I'll be heading back to Tulsa on Monday morning," she replied.

Sam nodded.

"So, how are _you_ doing?" she prodded Sam before casting a meaningful glance at Daniel.

Sam looked at her and then at Daniel and smiled. "Janet, this is Daniel Jackson, my … very, very good friend." She blushed a bit at her choice of words.

Janet raised her eyebrows momentarily. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Daniel," she said frankly as she reached out and shook Daniel's hand.

Daniel smiled shyly and nodded. "Nice to meet you too, Janet," he said softly.

Janet smiled at them. "So, how did you two meet?" she asked.

Daniel and Sam exchanged nervous glances. "Uh … well, we just sort of ran into each other," Sam said sheepishly.

Janet raised an eyebrow and looked dubious, clearly not buying it. "Riiiiiiight," she said amusedly.

Daniel felt the need to elaborate. "No, that's basically how we met … I literally stumbled upon her." His cheeks flamed and Janet picked up on it, snickering softly.

"Why are you blushing?" she asked.

"Ah …" Daniel trailed off, not knowing what to say. He gave her a slight shrug as Sam looked at Janet awkwardly and began blushing as well.

"Look at you two!" Janet exclaimed, laughing. "I've never seen two people blush like that before! What a pair you are," she finished affectionately.

Before they could say anything else, they were interrupted by Jack. "Okay, campers, step right up and get yer grub!" he called out.

Sam inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Janet was her good friend, but every time she had to recount how she and Daniel met, it only made them both feel awkward. They headed over to the grill, where Jack was standing equipped with a pair of tongs and wearing an apron that proclaimed "I'd rather be fishing."

As Sam made her way up to him, he smiled broadly at her. "Burger for the lady?" he asked.

"Uh, n-no, that's okay," she stuttered, not expecting him to be so friendly. "I'll just have a hot dog."

Jack nodded and lovingly served up a hot dog for her, taking extra care as he placed it on a lightly-toasted bun. "Mustard, ketchup, relish – it's all on the table over there," he drawled as he gestured toward the picnic table up against the house. He gave her another friendly smile as she nodded and took the plate from him. She then headed for the table.

"Burger?" Jack asked Daniel, who was next.

"Ah … yeah, please," Daniel replied.

Jack nodded and placed a hamburger – which greatly resembled a charcoal briquette – onto a bun for him. "There ya are, grilled to perfection," he said with an air of smugness.

Daniel wrinkled his nose slightly as he accepted the burger. "More like burnt to a crisp," he smirked.

Jack snorted. "Then you be the cook. Here, take the tongs, take the apron –"

Daniel blushed faintly. "No, no, I was just kidding," he offered.

Jack grinned. "Sure you were. If there's any left over for seconds, I'll be sure to make yours rare," he said wryly.

Daniel nodded awkwardly before making his way to the condiment table.

* * *

Sam applied mustard to her hot dog, and then looked back in the direction of Jack and snickered. "He's quite a character," she said, amused.

Janet turned to her. "You mean Jack? Oh, sure," she agreed.

Sam shook her head and began to chuckle softly as Janet looked around to make sure that they were the only ones in the immediate vicinity. "You know, I couldn't help but notice the twinkle in his eye when he gave you the hot dog," she said quietly as she leaned in toward Sam.

Sam looked at her incredulously. "What?"

"I'd say he's getting a little … flirty with you, hmm?" Janet said impishly.

Sam shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, come on!" she scoffed. "From what Sara tells me, he's just a big kid. It can't be flirting and even if it was, he's wasting his time." Her voice became more serious. "Because I'm committed to Daniel, and that's that."

Janet looked at her briefly before a faint smile appeared on her lips. Before she could say anything, Daniel appeared, reaching for the ketchup. Sam looked down at his burnt hamburger and winced.

"Ooh, he gave you a charcoal briquette? What a sick joke," Janet said, unable to resist a grin.

Daniel chuckled. "That's why I'm putting an incredible amount of ketchup on it – to kill the taste."

Sam grinned. "You want to switch with me?" she asked, gesturing to her hot dog.

"No, it's okay," he smiled. "I'd rather drown it in ketchup than inflict such a cruel punishment on you," he said dryly.

Sam shook her head and snickered softly.

"What were you guys talking about?" Daniel suddenly asked.

Sam and Janet turned to each other, wide-eyed and looking like two schoolgirls who'd just been caught in the act of some mischief. "Oh, nothing, just …" Sam trailed off.

"Just girl talk," Janet supplied. "We were just doing a little catching up."

Daniel nodded. When he turned his back, Sam and Janet exchanged a little grin.

"Hey everyone, someone has an important announcement to make," Sara suddenly called out after she lowered the music on the stereo.

Everyone directed their attention to Sara's nephew and the girl standing next to him. Daniel briefly lowered his head and bit into his hamburger, sending a tiny glob of ketchup flying onto the bottom of his cheek.

"Uh, you got something …" Sam trailed off as she gestured to her own cheek, suppressing a laugh.

Daniel blushed and immediately dabbed at his cheek with a napkin. Sam smiled and nodded once he'd wiped it off.

"Everybody?" Thomas called out, trying to get people's attention. "Kate and I wanted to use this time to announce that we're getting married." He smiled and lovingly pulled his fiancé close to him as the crowd erupted in applause and even a few cheers.

As Sam clapped, a feeling of bitterness welled up inside her. First she found out that her friend Jill had gotten married, then Janet, and now Sara's young nephew. She almost began feeling sorry for herself when she realized that she was the only single woman at the party. She knew it was mostly her own fault that she wasn't married by now, what with being busy in school for so long and not being very outgoing anyway. But, at the moment, it didn't matter to her. She barely listened to the rest of what the young man had to say.

"We're getting married this winter and then we'll be off to Hawaii to live with the dolphins," he continued.

Daniel scrunched up his face incredulously and turned to Sam. "What?" he said quietly, leaning into her.

Normally, Sam would have found the statement odd and would have chuckled at Daniel's reaction, but she was still dwelling on how bitter she felt. She merely looked straight ahead and shrugged.

"Okay, the music goes back on now," Sara said as she turned the volume back up on the stereo, and a song from No Doubt resumed playing. Sam's eyes widened and she began to feel nauseous as she listened to the words.

It was the same song that played loudly in the car just before Joe had begun advancing on her. Granted, it had been almost two months since that disastrous date and she'd managed to get over what happened, but hearing the song again suddenly conjured up bad feelings inside her. It wasn't exactly traumatic, but she suddenly felt the need to leave.

She eyed the sliding door and, without warning, walked briskly past Daniel and everyone else, pushed the doors aside, and entered the house.

"Sam?" Daniel suddenly blurted out. At first, he thought she was heading to the bathroom, so he decided to stay put and wait for her. The distressed look on her face kept nagging at him though and making him think that she was somehow upset.

Sam shut the door behind her and stood in the living room, taking a few deep breaths. It was nice and quiet here and she was glad as she tried to push the memories of that date with Joe away. She put her hand to her head and blushed faintly. She must have looked like she was having something akin to a panic attack, the way she rushed inside like that. Right now, she just needed some time alone. She was glad no one was around as she tried to recover.

As she raised her head, she nearly jumped as she witnessed Jack standing in the dining room, watching her.

"Oh, uh … hi," she said, flustered.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Hi," Jack returned as he fetched a bottle of beer and twisted the cap off. "Want one?" he asked her.

"Oh, uh … no, I don't really drink beer," she replied awkwardly.

"I should have known," Jack grinned. "That friend of yours wouldn't have any either. The way I see it, you're made for each other."

Sam blushed faintly.

"Why aren't you outside with the others?" Jack suddenly asked before taking a swig of beer.

Sam's blush deepened. She was certainly not going to tell him the real reason why she rushed inside, so she had to think up a quick excuse. "I … I just needed some fresh air."

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at her curiously. "Fresh air? Inside?" he said incredulously.

Sam averted her eyes, feeling defeated. "There was just so much going on out there, I wanted to be alone for just a few minutes," she conceded.

"I don't blame ya," Jack said. "Sara was getting a little crazy with the music there. I offered to sing some sea shanties or some old Irish ditties, but she shot me down."

Sam looked at him and started snickering. Jack shot a warm smile at her.

"So, you've known Sara since high school?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, just over twenty years," she replied.

"Huh. How long have you lived here in Colorado Springs?" he asked.

"Um … almost two years," Sam said as she avoided his eyes.

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Really! And _this_ is the first time you've visited us!"

Sam's blush remained and she nodded.

"What took you so long?" Jack asked dumbly.

Sam directed her gaze back to him and gave him an odd look before she snorted and began to snicker.

Jack grinned widely. Once Sam managed to calm down, he looked at her pointedly and raised his eyebrows, expecting an answer from her.

Sam's smile faded and she cleared her throat. "I … I've just been insanely busy at work. Sara and I never had much of a chance to get together," she fibbed as she gave a small shrug. Embarrassed, she immediately took a keen interest in her shoes.

Jack looked at her dubiously but, in the end, gave a shrug himself.

"So, I guess you and Daniel are pretty serious?" he suddenly blurted out, changing the subject.

Sam's head shot up and she looked at him incredulously, caught completely off-guard by the question.

When she didn't answer, Jack continued, "How long have you known each other?"

Sam was even more taken aback, if such a thing was possible, and her face flushed. She'd insisted on coming inside, and now she couldn't wait to get back outside.

A realization came to Jack and he momentarily shut his eyes. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business," he said ruefully.

Sam took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. She noticed Jack's apologetic eyes boring into hers and it actually made her feel slightly uncomfortable. In truth, she didn't find anything wrong with the how-long-have-you-known-each-other question, but was completely taken by surprise with the are-you-two-serious question.

"We've known each other about two months now," she said quietly, her eyes still trained on the floor.

She tentatively looked back up at Jack, who was nodding thoughtfully.

"And you both work at that school?"

Sam nodded. "UCCS," she said, suddenly gaining more confidence and not feeling as awkward as before. "He's in Anthropology and I'm in Earth and Space Sciences. He gave a talk in our department about a month and a half ago, about a site in Scotland from the Mesolithic Era. It was very interesting."

"Must be," Jack said before taking another swig of beer.

Sam looked at him, frustrated, as his tone implied that he didn't think much of anything Daniel was involved in. She hadn't forgotten that he'd referred to Daniel as a geek when they were first introduced.

"He really is a brilliant man," she insisted quietly, her countenance serious. "He has his quirks, as everyone does, but he's truly brilliant and he's sweet and caring as well."

Jack looked at her and felt reality hitting him like a ton of bricks. He had called Daniel a geek earlier and hadn't exactly apologized for it. Jack could be a real smartass, but he was never cruel about it. In the least, it was never his intention. Now he felt stupid as Sam was subtly putting him down for saying such a thing about her boyfriend.

"I shouldn't have called him a geek," he conceded. "I didn't really mean it that way. I was impressed by all of his credentials and unfortunately I have this terrible habit of being very blunt and even sarcastic at the wrong time…" he trailed off. _Especially when the person in question seems tons smarter than me_, he silently added.

Sam looked at him, a bit surprised at his apparent change in attitude. The playful, joking, smart-alecky adolescent whom she'd first been introduced to was now acting like a more serious grown man – a grown man who'd realized he crossed the line into the realm of obnoxiousness when he first talked to her and her dear friend. It was quite a stark contrast.

"I … um … well," Sam stammered, at a loss for words. If he was being sincere, she was glad that she'd made him see what a wonderful person Daniel was, and how highly she regarded him.

Jack smiled kindly at her and chuckled, apparently finding her awkwardness cute. "That outfit looks good on you," he said after a beat.

Sam's eyes widened briefly and her cheeks flamed, not quite expecting him to come out with something like this. At a total loss for words, she shifted uncomfortably and began staring at the bottle of beer in his hand.

* * *

Daniel's eyes narrowed as he stood on the deck and observed Sam and Jack interacting with each other. From his vantage point, he could easily see them inside, although he couldn't hear what they were saying. Jack must have wowed Sam with his charms at one point, as she was clearly laughing. Daniel rolled his eyes at the thought.

Now, they seemed to be chatting very closely. Sam appeared slightly awkward, as he witnessed her shifting uncomfortably and staring down at the floor. Daniel couldn't be sure though. He did notice earlier how Jack seemed to be quite friendly toward Sam, especially when they first met him and when he was serving the food. Daniel was about to berate himself for being so suspicious, but after his first impression of Jack, he couldn't put anything past the older man.

Suddenly, the four glasses of iced tea caught up on him, and he realized he had the perfect excuse to go inside. He briskly made his way toward the sliding door, his gait slowing somewhat as he neared it. He didn't want to make such a sudden appearance as to give Sam a heart attack.

* * *

Sam stood silently and stared at the bottle in Jack's hand. As he brought it up to his lips to take another swig of beer, her gaze shifted to the kitchen countertop.

"I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?" Jack asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

Sam shook her head slowly as she continued gazing at the countertop. "No," she said in a very quiet voice as she shrugged.

She was just thinking about leaving to go back outside when she heard the sliding door shut quietly behind her. She quickly turned her head and found Daniel standing just inches away from it. Her face flushed when Daniel briefly looked at her before taking a few steps forward.

"Hey. Can you tell me where the bathroom is?" he asked as he turned to Jack.

Jack managed a slight grin. "Just how much of that iced tea did you have?" he asked impishly.

Daniel smiled sheepishly as a faint blush appeared in his cheeks. He wasn't thrilled with Jack at present, especially after witnessing him talking to Sam, but at the moment all he wanted to do was relieve himself. "I, ah … I'm not sure … four, five glasses?" he said quietly.

Jack grinned and shook his head. "This way, end of the hall on the right side," he said as he pointed to the left.

Daniel nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

He was about to head in that direction when Jack held up his hand. "Ah! Wait a minute …"

Daniel turned back to Jack and looked at him curiously.

"I … I wanted to apologize for being such a smartass before … you know, with the whole 'geek' thing. I really didn't mean it that way …"

Daniel thought he recognized genuine sincerity in Jack's voice, and was a bit surprised to hear this coming from him after the way he acted when they first met. He couldn't let Jack say any more though, because he was almost afraid that his bladder would explode.

"Thanks, I … ah … I really appreciate that," he said quietly. "And now I _really_ have to go," he added with a hint of desperation.

Before making his way down the hall, he turned to Sam and his eyes met hers for a fleeting moment. "I'll be right back," he said before turning away from her and hastily making his way toward the bathroom.

Sam watched him leave and felt an uncomfortable warmth rise up in her cheeks. She was actually embarrassed, even a little ashamed, that Daniel found her with Jack. It wasn't as if they'd been talking in a very friendly way, or very close to one another, but the fact remained that she'd been talking with Jack. She grew even more ashamed when she wondered what Daniel could possibly have thought when he saw them. She hoped he didn't get the wrong idea.

She heard Jack clear his throat and she quickly turned her gaze up to him. She looked at him curiously as she noticed the faint smile on his face.

"I really meant what I said to him," he told her frankly, just in case any doubts over that remained.

Sam nodded silently. She wondered if he was waiting for some adulation from her. He'd do best to keep waiting, as she was still feeling quite awkward and agonizing over Daniel.

His eyes studied her outfit (and _not_ her body; that she was sure of) and his smile grew. "I really meant that, too," he added.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. "I-I'm sorry?" she stammered.

"Your outfit," Jack clarified. "It looks very nice on you."

Sam's wrinkled brow remained, and she coughed awkwardly. His comment seemed harmless enough, but Sam couldn't help thinking that he seemed to be acting quite friendly toward her. She tried to brush the thought away, making an excuse that he probably acted this way toward most people.

"Well, I better get back outside," he finally said, realizing that she was perhaps a bit uncomfortable.

Sam merely nodded. Jack studied her face for a brief moment and then gave her a friendly smile and a wink before heading back outside.

Once he was gone, Sam took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. She stood in the middle of the living room, trying to gather her thoughts and make sense of all that had just happened. She felt her cheeks burning when she reminded herself of the way Daniel's eyes pierced hers before he turned away from her. She really began to worry that he'd gotten the wrong idea, no matter how irrational it seemed. She felt awkward, embarrassed, and ashamed, all as a result of running away from a song that reminded her of Joe. How silly was that?

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard footsteps coming toward her. She glanced in their direction and saw Daniel making his way back to the living room. Once they made eye contact, she quickly turned her gaze down to her fidgeting hands. She felt too ashamed to even look at him.

"Sam?"

She tentatively lifted her gaze until her eyes met his. Inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't find any anger, hurt, or dejection in his eyes. Rather, they were tinted with concern as he looked at her.

"Are you okay?"

Sam studied his face. His expression, coupled with his words, made it seem as though he was trying to make heads or tails out of what was going on with her. She realized he'd witnessed her hasty retreat into the house without any rhyme or reason. He was bound to wonder what was up, especially when he cared so much about her.

She forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay," she said dismissively.

Daniel's brow wrinkled. "Are you sure?" he prodded. "I mean, the way you ran in here, you looked kind of … I don't know … uncomfortable."

Sam looked at him and nodded once again. "I'm fine," she insisted quietly. She knew she owed him an explanation, but she couldn't tell him exactly why she felt a need to run away from everyone. She was afraid he'd find the reason laughable. After all, Joe was ancient history now and she had no reason to dwell on that disastrous date anymore. Would Daniel understand something like bad feelings being conjured up simply by hearing a song on the radio? There was no need for her to second guess anything concerning him, but she was quite ashamed and she just couldn't say anything to him at the moment.

Daniel's expression revealed that he was a bit skeptical, as if there was some underlying problem that she wasn't admitting. He then surmised that it had something to do with someone here at the party, and that she just didn't want to talk about it in this setting. He could definitely tell that she was uncomfortable.

"Listen, do you want to cut out early?" he asked her, looking around to make sure no one was in the room as a precaution.

Sam looked at him curiously.

"I mean, face it Sam, you do seem uncomfortable. I can tell," he said as his eyes drifted down to her hands as she was fidgeting with her old college ring. He looked pointedly back up into her eyes.

Sam briefly looked down, noticed how she was fidgeting, and immediately stopped. She directed her gaze back up to him and gave him a faint smile and a shrug. "I guess I'm not having the greatest time of my life," she conceded.

Daniel returned the faint smile before he glanced at his watch. "It's almost three o'clock. What time do you want to leave?"

Sam momentarily gazed out the door and saw Sara talking with Jill and Janet, as well as Sara's parents. "Think we can stay for another hour, hour and a half?" she asked Daniel timidly as she turned back to him. "The party ends at seven, so I guess they'll be having dinner. But, I don't want to leave too early …"

Daniel looked into her eyes and nodded. "Why don't we leave just before dinner then, say four or four-thirty?"

Sam's lips twitched upward in a faint smile and she nodded. "Okay."

Daniel smiled and squeezed her arm before leaning into her and kissing her on the cheek. For the moment, the feeling of uneasiness left her and she beamed. Daniel chuckled affectionately when he noticed how her face lit up.

"So, what are we going to do until then?" he asked her as they made their way back to the door.

"Well, I figure I'll talk some more to Sara and Janet … and maybe Jill's husband will ease up enough to allow us to have a real conversation," she said dryly.

"Mmm. Maybe I'll talk a bit more to Sara's nephew," Daniel said quietly so that his voice wouldn't carry out onto the deck.

"Sara's nephew?" Sam asked curiously.

Daniel nodded. "Did you know he was studying anthropology in college? He gave it up and decided to get an MBA instead." He rolled his eyes.

Sam snickered. "He didn't seem very business-oriented to me, especially with that 'we're going to live with the dolphins' comment."

"Maybe he wants to buy out Sea World," Daniel said with a crooked grin.

Sam carelessly let a giggle escape her throat, and she was unsuccessful at suppressing it further when she turned back to Daniel and saw a satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

Sam spent most of the remaining time talking to Janet and Jill, who was finally given elbow room as her husband chatted with Jack for a while. They reminisced about their high school days and spent some more time catching up with each other. Daniel politely stayed with Sam as they chatted. After a while he felt slightly awkward, so he talked to Sara for a little bit and was introduced to her father. He also spent some time chatting with Thomas again, still a bit incredulous over the younger man's career decision. Chiding him for it was way beyond Daniel though, so he merely expressed interest in Thomas' future job plans.

When Sam and Daniel met up again, it was just about four-thirty. Jill and her husband were also leaving early because they were taking in a show that evening. Sam was glad that she and Daniel wouldn't look as bad for cutting out early. They watched as Sara and Jack said their goodbyes to the couple, as well as exchanging hugs and handshakes. Sam hoped that, since Jill had left first, Sara wouldn't give Sam and Daniel quite as hard a time about leaving.

She gave Janet a big hug as she said goodbye, hoping that it wouldn't be too long before they saw each other again. Janet wrote down her address and phone number for Sam so they could stay in touch. In turn, she said her goodbyes to Sara's parents and sisters, who were a bit surprised that Sam was leaving already, but they didn't object as strongly as Sara undoubtedly would.

After she said goodbye to everyone, she turned toward Daniel as she felt him give her arm an encouraging squeeze. The two of them made their way inside, where Sara and Jack were still standing at the front door watching Jill and her husband drive off. Sara turned when she heard Sam and Daniel's footsteps.

"Hey, you two … is something wrong?" she asked curiously.

Sam blushed faintly and shook her head. "No, uh … we …" she trailed off.

"We have to get going now," Daniel filled in, his tone apologetic.

Sara looked at them, nearly taken back. "What? You're leaving now? There's still dinner and dessert!"

"Sara makes a mean chocolate torte," Jack added as pulled her close to him.

"I'm sure she does," Daniel returned with a disarming smile. "I'm sorry, we really can't stay."

Sara turned her curious eyes over to Sam and looked at her pointedly.

"I wish we could, Sara … the party was great, it was great seeing everyone again, and the food was very good," Sam said, fibbing just a bit.

On that last point, Jack gave a smug grin, prompting Sara to roll her eyes.

"But, we really have to go. We have some … things to do," Sam finished awkwardly, wishing she had more time to think up a credible excuse.

Sara grinned knowingly as she came to her own conclusion as to what Sam meant. Sam and Daniel saw through her expression and blushed.

"Okay, you don't have to spell it out for me. It was great having you guys here," she said, changing her tune slightly. "It was great to meet you Daniel and I hope we'll be seeing a lot more of you in the future."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up, surprised by her statement as he thought she knew that he and Sam were in a serious relationship.

"I mean, I hope we see you guys again very soon," Sara elaborated, realizing she hadn't quite phrased it right.

Daniel smiled and nodded. "It was nice meeting you guys, too … even if we didn't quite start out on the right foot," he said as he turned to Jack.

Jack gave him a half smile and nodded. "Hey, you're a scientist," he said. "I like scientists."

Daniel furrowed his brow in confusion at the statement, but shrugged it off, thinking it was just Jack's funny sense of humor. He looked off to one side and nodded.

Sara reached out and gave Sam a final hug as Jack and Daniel shook hands.

"Bye, Sam, I'll call you soon, okay?" Sara told her as Sam and Daniel were about to step out the front door.

Sam smiled and nodded. Her smile faded when she turned to Jack and noticed the very friendly smile plastered on his face. "Bye, Sam!" he said in a nearly lyrical tone. Sam coughed slightly and then forced a smile.

Daniel's brow knitted as he witnessed Jack's friendly display. He quickly turned to Sara and said, "Congratulations to your nephew again."

Sara smiled kindly and nodded. She waved to them as they made their way down the front walk and then down the street to Daniel's car.

* * *

Daniel glanced quickly over at Sam as they drove back to his apartment. Once again, he could tell that something was bothering her.

"Sam, are you all right?" he asked.

Sam paused before answering. She had to tell Daniel what was bothering her. If she couldn't tell him about the music reminding her of Joe, she had to tell him at least part of the reason why she was distraught.

"No … not exactly," she said quietly.

As they sat at a red light, she looked back up at him and noticed him looking at her, concern radiating from his deep blue eyes. She studied his face for a moment before continuing.

"All this talk of marriage," she began, sounding agitated.

Daniel's eyebrows drew together.

"First Jill, then Janet, and now Sara's nephew," she continued.

"And that bothers you?" Daniel asked curiously.

Sam's cheeks flushed when she realized what she'd said. She shrugged slightly. "I don't know."

Daniel looked at her dubiously as her tone betrayed her words.

"I guess it's silly … I mean, it's my own fault. They're more outgoing than I am, and they probably didn't let their jobs take up every minute of their lives. I …" She trailed off when she noticed Daniel looking at her thoughtfully. "… It's stupid. I don't know why I let it get to me," she said ruefully.

"No, it's not," Daniel said softly. He turned his head back around when he noticed the light changing to green. He decided to change the subject and keep the conversation light.

"So, um … what do you think about Jack?" he asked. He winced inwardly when he realized that his tone sounded a bit flippant.

Sam shrugged. "Well, Sara was right when she said he's a big kid," she conceded as she tried to think of something positive to say about him.

"Yeah," Daniel said, drawing out the word somewhat. "I couldn't help noticing that he seemed to get a little … ah … flirtatious with you." He blushed and felt like kicking himself for making it sound like he was jealous.

Sam felt a little pang of guilt stab her in the chest. "I hadn't noticed," she said quietly. Of course, that wasn't exactly true. She _had_ noticed that Jack had gone out of his way to be friendly toward her, quite possibly to the degree of flirting. She remembered how Sara had once told her that Jack, being the big kid that he was, would sometimes engage in harmless flirting. As a result, she tried to chalk it up to Jack just being Jack. She wasn't entirely sure that it was harmless, but she was entirely sure of her feelings for Daniel, so she decided not to let it bother her.

"If he was flirting, he's wasting his time," she told him as they stopped at another red light.

Daniel furrowed his brow before Sam gave him a loving smile. As she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, the wrinkles in his brow faded and he grew a smile of his own. She wanted to reassure him that no one could take her away from him and it seemed to do the trick.

"Hey, I know it's a little early, but do you want to get some dinner?" he suddenly asked.

Sam nodded, not having to think twice.

"How does O'Malley's sound?"

The color came back into Sam's cheeks when she remembered that this was where she met Joe for dinner. The bad memories threatened to invade her mind once again and she tried to dispel them to no avail.

"I … I'd rather not," she said uneasily.

Daniel could sense something was bothering her again. "Why not?" he asked her pointedly. "I mean, we could go somewhere else, but … I'm just curious. Why not?"

Sam sighed heavily. "It's where I met Joe for that … that date," she blurted out.

For a fleeting moment, pity shone in Daniel's eyes. Then his expression changed and he sighed. "Sam, you really need to put this behind you and move on. This guy is out of your life, thankfully, and you have no reason to dwell on it any longer. What he did to you was horrible, granted, but it's really time for you to move on."

She looked into his eyes and felt her blush deepen. She realized how ridiculous she was acting and was surprised that Daniel wasn't going to run out of patience and give up on her. She slowly nodded. "You're right, Daniel. I'm so sorry that I'm ruining things for us by dredging up this incident every free chance I get. God, I'm so foolish."

Daniel exhaled and looked at her sadly. "Sam, you're not foolish and you're not ruining things for us. I was quite distraught and angry over what happened to you. I hate to see the people I care for taken advantage of. You're a sweet person and you didn't deserve that. But, it's been two months and I was sure that you'd gotten over what had happened."

"I did," she insisted. "It's just that, certain things that remind me of it will conjure up bad feelings for me."

Realization shone in Daniel's eyes as he thought back to Sam running inside Sara's house. "Is that what happened earlier?" he questioned.

Sam gave him a bewildered look.

"When you ran inside the house?" he clarified.

Sam looked at him briefly and then nodded. "The song that was playing was the same song that was on the radio in Joe's car before he did all that … stuff," she nearly choked out. "But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering me. It was a few things combined." She paused again and shook her head. "I was acting ridiculous, and I feel so stupid now," she finished bitterly.

Daniel looked at her before he reached over and caressed her hand. "Sam, please, it's okay. It doesn't make me love you any less. I just want you to promise me that you'll try to put it behind you once and for all and not let it ruin your days. Can you do that for me?"

Sam's eyes met his and she was touched by the sincerity and love for her in them. She smiled and nodded slowly.

Daniel smiled back and reached over to give her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek once he'd pulled over in front of O'Malley's. After he let her go, he patted her on the back and smiled. "Well, we're here. Do you want to give this place a try?"

Sam smiled and nodded. He smiled back and they exited the car, making their way to the entrance of the restaurant.

* * *

Sam and Daniel had a nice dinner at O'Malley's. As they were early, there weren't many people there and they were seated quickly. Sam looked over at Daniel and any bad memories of being with Joe had finally subsided for good. She was determined to put this behind her once and for all. As for Daniel, he was a touch uneasy at first that they might actually run into Joe, especially after his unfortunate confrontation with him. He berated himself for thinking this way and decided that it didn't matter; he was here to enjoy dinner with Sam.

After dinner, they returned to Daniel's apartment. Having refused coffee and dessert at the restaurant, Daniel put on a fresh pot for them and put out some chocolate walnut cookies that he'd purchased from a bakery the day before.

Over coffee and cookies, the two of them sat and talked for hours. They shared stories, secrets and dreams, talking and laughing as two friends who were totally comfortable with each other only could. Daniel told Sam the stories behind some of the artifacts in his apartment and even taught her how to play the Jackal and the Hound game after she pleaded with him. He admitted he was a bit rusty at first, not having played it since college, but after he began to show her, he got his rhythm back and they played it at least a dozen times. At first it was because Daniel kept winning and Sam didn't want to stop until she won at least one game. She vowed that she would beat him and she finally did on the last game. She put on a little display of victory, causing Daniel to grin and shake his head. He chuckled affectionately at her.

"You know, I let you win that one," he joked to her as she joined him on the couch once again.

"What?" she protested. "You have to be kidding! That did not seem like a deliberate loss to me."

Daniel gave her a shrug. "I was getting tired. I've been known to slip up when I'm tired."

Sam rolled her eyes and then playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Sure, any excuse not to let me have a true victory – can't admit you were actually defeated."

"Because I _wasn't _– not technically, anyway," Daniel shot back. "Hey!" he exclaimed as she playfully swatted him across the chest.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, and then suddenly broke out in giggles. The giggles turned into peals of laughter, and before long he was laughing along side of her.

"Geez, we've been in a serious relationship for only about a month and we're already fighting," she said as she calmed down. "I mean, we're not even married yet."

Daniel immediately stopped laughing and looked at her curiously, almost incredulously.

Sam's cheeks flamed when she realized what she'd just said, especially the 'yet' part. "I … I mean … well, you know …" She trailed off awkwardly.

Daniel studied her face and managed a crooked smile. He averted his eyes and nodded.

Sam slowly exhaled, relieved that he seemed to know what she meant and wasn't going to give her any grief over it. She suddenly looked down at her watch and gasped when she realized it was 11 PM. "Oh, my God, I didn't know it was that late."

Daniel's eyes widened when he looked at the clock on his VCR. He felt a wave of sadness hit him when Sam moved to get up off the couch and fetch her purse. He got up and slowly went over to her as she made her way to his door.

"I'm sorry. I really should get going," she said apologetically.

Daniel's eyes bored into hers as he stood in front of the door. "Stay," he said simply.

The word hit Sam and almost threatened to knock her out cold. She merely stared at him.

"Please stay the night," he continued. "It's late, you've had a long day … you don't want to be alone, do you?" He realized he was hardly making sense as the words tumbled from his lips, but his deep feelings for her were causing him to act impulsively.

Sam breathed in and out slowly and sadness crept into her eyes. "I … I can't."

Daniel looked at her curiously before her words sunk in and he averted his eyes. He blushed faintly as he realized exactly what he'd proposed to her. "I'm sorry," he said, almost inaudibly as he kept his head down. "I'm rushing things, aren't I? I'm doing exactly what you said you didn't want from a guy."

Sam looked at him pitifully as she felt a twinge of guilt deep inside her. "It's not that I don't _want_ to; I do, believe me. But, I can't … not just yet."

Daniel finally lifted his head so that his eyes could meet hers. He knew that Sam loved him and that her decision wasn't anything personal. He knew that Joe had tried to rush her and made her feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to lose her by doing the same exact thing. "I know," he nodded.

A smile slowly spread across Sam's lips. "If you don't mind, I would love a goodnight kiss," she said.

Daniel smiled back before he put his arms around her neck and enveloped her in one of the most warm, tender kisses she'd ever experienced. As their lips locked, she moaned softly, not wanting the kiss to end. He echoed her moans as his fingers snaked through her hair and their tongues intertwined. He didn't want to end the kiss, but he knew that if they went any further, she would end up spending the night and perhaps the two of them weren't quite ready for that. At that instant, their lips parted and they stared soulfully at one another. They seemed to be reading each other's minds, silently agreeing that they would wait just a little longer before taking the next step.

They embraced tightly before finally letting go of each other. Sam turned back to Daniel and smiled as she made her way out the door.

"Goodnight, Daniel," she said, smiling genuinely.

"Goodnight, Sam," he answered, his tone warm but slightly reluctant. Her smile grew and she gave him one last loving gaze before she made her way down the hall toward the elevators.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The rest of June seemed to go by in a blur. Sam and Daniel saw each other as often as possible in between obligations at the university. Daniel's were in the form of meetings with his new graduate student and Sam's were in the form of administrative business and seminars, one of which was given by her. Her wish of having an astrophysicist give a talk in her department had finally been granted, although not quite in the form she'd expected. She was asked to give a lecture on aspects of time dilation!

Since Sam had attended his lecture, Daniel thought it was only fair to return the favor and he attended hers. Of course, her colleagues were quite aware of their friendly association, Elizabeth more than anyone. Sam was a bit worried of what the other woman would say to their colleagues, but in the end she berated herself for these insecurities. Her relationship with Daniel was nothing to hide anymore. Nevertheless, Elizabeth kept her mouth shut and let Sam do the talking.

Sam was delighted that the notion of her relationship with Daniel was well-received by everyone. Of course there were a few jokes, but they were all on the lighthearted side. John Kleagle, the mineralogist, couldn't resist prodding Daniel to find out which specific area of geology Daniel's masters degree was in. He gave Daniel a mock disappointed expression when the younger man informed him that it was sedimentology and stratigraphy. Daniel nearly took him seriously before the twinkle in Kleagle's eye emerged.

Sam had run into Elizabeth in the ladies room and the brown-haired woman couldn't help noticing Sam's birthday gift from Daniel yet again. She casually remarked that she hoped Sam would get Daniel something equally terrific for his birthday. After playfully retorting that that was none of her business, Sam realized that she didn't know when Daniel's birthday was. He'd never mentioned it to her. She decided that she had to get it out of him one way or another.

She succeeded one evening not long afterward. She was at his apartment, sitting on the couch and leaning forward with her elbows propped up on the coffee table. She glanced appreciatively at the emerald bracelet on her wrist.

"Daniel, I just realized something," she began.

Daniel looked up from his cup of coffee and raised his eyebrows.

"You've never told me when your birthday is … or was …"

Daniel's face flushed as he became embarrassed. The fact that he'd never mentioned his birthday to her was something of which he was well aware. What embarrassed him was the notion that he initially wanted to keep it from her because he didn't think it was such a big deal. He realized that was ridiculous; he knew Sam's birthday and had even helped her celebrate it. It only made sense that she'd want to do the same for him. What reason was there to keep it from her?

"July 8th," he mumbled, shutting his eyes.

"What?"

"July 8th," he repeated a bit louder. "But it's not a really big deal."

The hell it wasn't. Sam knew that Daniel was a quite humble and unassuming man, but the notion that his birthday wasn't a big deal was silly. He'd helped her celebrate her own birthday and had even bought her a gift. She cared for him so deeply that she was obligated to do the same for him.

Her eyes wandered over to his VCR and then to a newspaper ad for an electronics store, which advertised movies on sale. The words that Daniel had spoken partially in jest to her more than a month ago suddenly became audible in her mind:

_"Make it an __Indiana__ Jones movie and I'm there." _

A large grin found its way on Sam's face as she hatched a plan. After she returned home, she flew over to the calendar on the wall in her kitchen, took a blue pen, and, on the 8th of July, she wrote "Daniel's Birthday" in her neat handwriting. In a moment of inspiration, she drew a small smiley face with glasses and shaggy hair. The result made her chuckle to herself.

Two weeks later, on the very date he'd given her, Sam surprised Daniel by appearing in front of his door, her arms laden with various packages. A bewildered Daniel let her in and watched as she set the large, gift-wrapped packages down on his coffee table before running into the kitchen with a smaller box and sticking it in his fridge.

She made her way back to the living room and sat down on his couch, excitedly inviting him to join her and open the presents. He lifted a single eyebrow as he sat down beside her and curiously took the larger package, which was a bit heavy, into his arms. Sam said not a word, but grinned in anticipation and prompted him to open it.

Daniel's gifts turned out to be a DVD player and a set of three movies. He was quite embarrassed to be receiving such extravagant – in his mind, anyway – gifts from Sam. She reciprocated with small kisses and "don't be silly"-isms, as she insisted that the player wasn't that expensive, and reminded him of the gift he'd given her.

A large smile lit up Daniel's features as he realized what DVD movies Sam had given him: those of the Indiana Jones trilogy. He insisted that Sam had overstepped her bounds, but the infectious grin on his face revealed otherwise. He showed his appreciation by embracing her and kissing her back, as well as forcing her to sit and watch all three with him, which she was only grateful to do after they set up the DVD player. They partook of the birthday cake she'd brought as they watched the movies.

Daniel's thirty-second birthday wasn't spent quite as he'd intended. If you had asked him anytime before three months ago, he'd tell you that he would rather spend it on an archaeological dig in Giza, uncovering some wondrous artifact that might help explain some enigma present in an aspect of ancient culture; or finding some new pictographs in an area of South America that had already been thoroughly excavated; or finding evidence that the evolution of modern man dates back even further than had been previously deduced.

But, three months ago, he met a sweet, caring woman who had quite a few things in common with him – a woman whom he seemed so comfortable talking with during their first meeting that he wondered if they knew each other well in another life. He even entertained the silly notion that they could be soul mates. He'd stepped back and reflected on how lonely he had felt a great part of the time, mostly due to the fact that he didn't have much family and was estranged from his parents. As corny as it might have sounded, meeting her had helped fill the void. Forget the DVD player and movies – Sam's love, understanding, and friendship were the greatest birthday gifts he could ever ask for.

* * *

Three days later, the happy memory of Daniel's birthday still fresh in her mind, Sam sang along to her Sade CD as she dusted the furniture in her living room. She'd put it off for quite some time and now that she finally had a day off, there was no longer any excuse.

She was in mid-song when the telephone rang. She hit "pause" on the stereo and made her way into the kitchen.

"Hey, Sam! You're home today?" Sara greeted her.

"Yeah, I didn't go in. I'm not advising anyone this summer and there weren't any seminars scheduled for today, so I didn't need to be there. It's a good thing, too, because the furniture really needed a good dusting," she said wryly.

"Oh, boy, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Sara joked.

Sam couldn't help but chuckle.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you again that it was great seeing you guys at the party. I know I told you the last time we spoke, but it was great to have you there and it was nice to finally meet Daniel," Sara said sincerely.

"Thanks. We had a nice time," she replied, mentally crossing her fingers as she'd just told a half truth. "It was great seeing everyone again – Jill, Janet, your parents and your sisters. Congratulations and the best of luck again to your nephew."

"Thanks, Sam. He's a great kid. Everyone was really happy to see you again, too. It's such a shame that you had to leave so early," Sara continued, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Sam blushed faintly. "I know. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we really had to get going." Her blush grew as she knew that Sara wasn't going to accept this as an excuse.

"Why?"

Sam briefly rolled her eyes. "We … we had dinner reservations."

"Oh," Sara replied after a beat, sounding as if she'd bought it completely. Sam inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you guys will be free next Wednesday," Sara changed the subject.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. "That's the sixteenth?" she asked tentatively as she made her way over to the calendar on her wall. She couldn't help grinning when she caught the Daniel smiley face she'd drawn on the eighth.

Sara replied in the affirmative. "I was thinking that the four of us could go out to dinner and then catch a movie."

"The _four_ of us?" Sam wondered. Her cheeks flamed when she realized she's actually wondered out loud.

"Yeah," Sara began suspiciously. "You and Daniel, and me and Jack … who else?"

"I …" Sam hesitated. She felt torn. She didn't want to turn a night out with her friends down, but she was a tad reluctant when she thought back to the way Jack was acting toward her at the party. She then berated herself; there was no reason to worry. If the four of them were going out to dinner and a movie and would be together at all times, Jack wouldn't have a chance to flirt with her. She didn't think he would dare do it in front of his wife, either. Still, she had some reservations.

"Sam?"

"Sorry," she replied, flustered as she was dragged out of her thoughts. "I guess it would be fun, Sara, but I have to ask Daniel what he wants to do."

"Okay, that's no problem. Just get back to me after you talk to him," Sara answered.

"Uh, yeah, of course, but …"

"What's the matter?"

"I know we've talked about this before, but … Jack is a flirty type, isn't he," Sam began uneasily.

Sara seemed to be caught off-guard by Sam's remark. "W-Well … why?"

Sam's face turned crimson. "Oh, um … no reason," she blurted out.

"You're thinking of the way he acted at the party," Sara said, slightly amused. When Sam didn't answer, she continued, "Sam, I told you he was a big kid. He is a big flirt, but it's all harmless. If it wasn't, I would have thrown him out on his ass ages ago."

Sam managed a slight grin. "I guess I'm being silly, huh?" she said ruefully.

"Um … yeah," Sara teased. "Nah, don't worry about it. You'd never met Jack, so you didn't know what to expect. He knows that you and Daniel are together."

Sam wasn't quite so sure about that and she hoped that the older man wouldn't try anything like make advances toward her. She tried to put her fears aside and convince herself that he wouldn't be able to try anything like that with Daniel around.

"Okay, I guess you're right. Dinner and a movie would be fun," she conceded.

"It'll be more than fun," Sara said. "Is O'Malley's okay? It's one of Jack's favorite hangouts and I'm not sure if he'd let us go anywhere else."

"That's fine, Sara," Sam smiled.

"Great. As for the movie, we're thinking of seeing 'Starship Troopers.' What say you?"

Sam snickered softly. "That sounds great. I'll ask Daniel and I'll let you know."

"Okay, talk to you later."

Sam grinned and shook her head after she hung up. It seemed that Sara had read her mind, as she was a bit of a sci-fi buff and had been meaning to see "Starship Troopers." She wondered what Daniel thought of it.

Speaking of Daniel, she began to feel a bit uneasy about asking him. She didn't think he'd object to dinner and a movie, but she remembered how Jack had been obnoxious to him at the party. Did he want to be in the company of such a man? Granted, Jack had apologized to him, but Sam couldn't help thinking that his first impression of Jack left a bad taste in Daniel's mouth.

Sam decided she would call him later and resolved not to dwell on it for the time being. She sighed before going back to her housework.

* * *

"Dinner and a movie with Sara and Jack?" Daniel asked curiously after a beat.

Sam blushed madly, trying to picture his expression as she spoke to him on the phone.

"Um … yeah," she replied uneasily. She'd only been talking to him for a couple of minutes and already she had a bad feeling about this.

"Well, it sounds fun. I'm not going to be busy on Wednesday. I think a night out would be great," he said in an upbeat tone, which surprised Sam.

"Really?" she asked dubiously.

"Sure," he replied as a hint of suspicion began to creep into his voice. Sam remained silent, prompting him to continue. "Is something wrong, Sam?"

"I just … I just thought you wouldn't be so thrilled over the idea, since Jack was coming and he wasn't exactly polite to you at the party," she said carefully.

Daniel paused and she could hear him sigh. "I guess I can see why you'd think that," he said thoughtfully. "He didn't make such a good first impression, but he did apologize, Sam, and he didn't keep it up the rest of the time we were there. That makes him okay in my book."

Sam was almost surprised to learn what a forgiving person Daniel was as she pondered his statement. There really wasn't any reason to be surprised; she'd known it since she apologized for her gross oversight of judgment and the way she'd treated him during the whole Joe fiasco.

"If only everyone could be as understanding and forgiving as you are, Daniel," she said softly.

"It's not something that makes me any special. Everyone should be forgiving and understanding; they're just not," he replied, ever so humble, with a touch of regret in his voice.

A little smile grew on Sam's face.

"Enough of this," he suddenly said, shifting gears. "Let's go out on Wednesday for dinner and a movie."

"Okay," she said, her smile growing. "Sara suggested going to O'Malley's."

"That sounds good," Daniel replied. "And the movie …?"

"'Starship Troopers.'"

"I've been wanting to see that," he said.

"Me, too."

"Then it works out perfect," Daniel said brightly. He heard Sam laughing gently, and it warmed his heart.

"Okay, I'll tell Sara we're definitely on for Wednesday and I'll get back to you with the details," Sam said.

"Sounds good. Talk to you later, Sam," Daniel said after an affectionate chuckle.

"Bye, Daniel."

After he hung up the phone, Daniel sat on his couch and pondered what had just transpired. He thought about Sam's change in attitude between the start and end of the conversation. She seemed so hesitant when she first spoke to him and he knew right away that she had reservations about making these plans. She'd said that she didn't think he'd want to see Jack after the way he treated Daniel at the party. Truth be told, Daniel wasn't exactly pleased as punch to spend any more time with the older man, but he went along with it because he didn't want to be a party pooper and he somehow thought that Sam would not be too pleased with him if he declined the invitation.

Something made him wonder if there was more to her uncertainty. He remembered her telling him at one time that Sara could be overbearing and would make her feel awkward, but it wasn't really on display at the party and her words just before didn't seem to indicate that.

Daniel reminded himself of her more upbeat tone at the end of the conversation and decided he wouldn't think about it any further. He realized it was actually a double date and thought it might be fun. He opened up his date book, circled the 16th of July, and wrote "Dinner/movie with Sam, Sara and Jack?"

* * *

Sam ran a hand through her hair before applying a light mist of hairspray. It was twenty minutes after five and she and Daniel were going to be meeting Jack and Sara at O'Malley's at six. Daniel was going to pick her up and then drive over to the restaurant since her house was on way.

She looked down at herself, hoping she was dressed all right. It had been quite a hot day and the evening was supposed to be quite warm as well, so she decided to wear something fairly light. She picked out a white halter sundress that ended just above her knees with a light blue floral pattern. The material was a cotton-spandex blend and she blushed as she realized how it accentuated every curve of her body. She thought about changing into something more decent when she decided she was being ridiculous. She'd gone through half her wardrobe already and didn't have much time before Daniel would be there.

She had all but forgotten her uneasiness with the fact that Jack was going to be there and that he was quite a flirt. If it was still plaguing her, she certainly would have decided against wearing this dress. She had decided that Jack wouldn't be a threat. If Sara was so sure that Jack was harmless, Sam didn't need to think twice about it.

She lightly sprayed herself with some of her favorite perfume and gave herself another once over in the mirror before she heard the doorbell ring. She slowly made her way down the hall and toward the living room. As she looked out the window and spotted Daniel's car, she could feel her heart thudding against her ribcage. After knowing Daniel for more than three months and being in a serious relationship with him for two months – two months exactly today – she still got excited as if every date with him was the big first date.

As she made her way into the foyer, she noticed a few folded papers sitting on top of the small table. They had slipped her mind as she focused on primping. She unfolded them and scanned them quickly again, experiencing the same unease and surprise she had when she had first come across the information. A few days earlier, she'd been trawling the internet for information on archaeology, her interest sparked by viewing the Indiana Jones movies with Daniel. She'd come across the website for the American Museum of Natural History and had taken a keen interest in a page about an exhibit known as "Petra: The Lost City of Stone." It detailed a once-flourishing ancient Near East city that was subsequently neglected for centuries. Sam enjoyed reading about the exhibit and had printed out the text, as she thought about showing it to Daniel at some point. She had nearly done a double take when she found out who the curators were …

"Doctors Claire and Melburn Jackson."

Sam had clicked on the "About the Curators" link and was taken to a page with three paragraphs detailing the Jacksons' impressive experience in the field of archaeology. Two photographs revealed a man and woman who bore a striking resemblance to Daniel, leaving no room for doubt on their identities. She'd studied their pictures and felt a twinge of resentment as she thought back to what Daniel had said about them. They were his parents and they had basically cut off contact with him because of his career decision. The resentment was replaced by pity for Daniel. He'd told her that he missed his mother, and the way he was talking made it seem like he wished he could see her again. She tried to honor his request of not getting involved. Nevertheless, she had printed out the page with their photos and the notes about them and kept it with the main notes on the exhibit.

The sound of the doorbell ringing once more pulled her from her thoughts and she started. Daniel was at the door and in her hand was information and photos about his parents. Thinking quickly, she folded them back up, ran into her home office and threw them into her desk drawer before hurrying back into the foyer.

She opened the door and was greeted by a smiling Daniel. "Hey there," he said softly.

A smile spread across her face as she looked him over. He was dressed in khakis and a blue and white plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She briefly glanced down at her dress and realized how well their outfits complemented each other.

She grinned widely as her eyes traveled up to his head. _Does he ever cut his hair,_ she thought amusedly and then immediately took it back. In truth, she'd grown fond of it. It was a part of him – a unique part of him that was just endearing to her. She snickered softly.

Daniel caught her and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Um … sorry," she said awkwardly, clearing her throat.

His smile returned.

"Come on in for a few minutes," she told him as she stepped aside to allow him entrance. Daniel nodded and moved past her into the foyer.

"Did I ever tell you what a nice place this was?" he asked her.

"Maybe," she replied with a shrug. "It's certainly not as attractive as your apartment though."

"Don't say that," he admonished her lightly. "It's attractive in its simplicity; it's not over-complicated. In other words, it's exactly like you." He finished his description with a sweet smile that made Sam blush faintly. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she beamed.

Daniel followed her into the kitchen, where she went to retrieve her purse. As she grabbed it off the table, she noticed him standing near her phone and watching her.

"Do you want anything to drink before we go?"

Daniel shook his head and smiled. "Nah, I'm okay."

Sam nodded and watched as he glanced at her calendar, as something had apparently caught his eye. She made her way up to him and her cheeks flamed when she realized he'd seen the Daniel Smiley Face she'd drawn on his birthday.

He turned to her, a pinkish tinge to his cheeks and an amused grin on his face. "W-what's this?" he asked.

Sam immediately took interest in the white sandal styled shoes she was wearing. "It's … um …" she stammered.

"It's a smiley face with glasses and long hair … is that supposed to be making fun of me, Sam?" he teased her.

Sam fearfully lifted her gaze to meet his mock hurt expression.

"I mean, I don't blame you – I do look like a geek with this plaid shirt, large-framed glasses and mop of hair," he said in a teasing, self-deprecating way.

"No, no, it's not," she blurted out, laughing sheepishly as she finally getting the courage to speak. "I was just being … cute … when I did that. I was in a funny mood, honestly, Daniel."

Daniel gave her a crooked grin before he pulled her close to him and stroked her hair. "You are cute," he told her before kissing her on the cheek.

"Don't beat yourself up. You don't look like a geek. The clothes, the glasses, the hair – it's what makes you, you and I love every bit of it. Don't ever change, Daniel," she smiled.

Daniel's grin changed into a sincere smile. "I won't if you won't," he said softly.

Sam smiled widely. "Hey, you know what today is?" she suddenly asked.

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion. "No, what?"

"It's our two month anniversary," she said a bit cryptically.

Daniel looked at her blankly.

"Two months ago today we began our serious, steady relationship," she clarified for him.

Daniel opened his mouth and his eyes became wide in realization. "Oh! That's right," he said, a touch flustered.

"Don't I get a present?" she asked him impishly.

A mischievous smile spread across Daniel's face. "Well, I wanted to surprise you, but since you asked so nicely …"

He trailed off as his lips locked with hers and he kissed her tenderly. They embraced as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he fingered her soft blonde hair. Several moments later, their lips parted and blue eyes pierced blue eyes.

"Oh, thanks, Daniel," Sam said breathlessly, a touch of disappointment in her voice as she didn't want the kiss to end.

"There's plenty more where that came from," he said, giving her a mischievous grin. "But we mustn't keep our company waiting, must we?"

Sam sighed and looked downward. "Nope. Sara was a bit suspicious as to why we left the party early, so I can only imagine how she'd be if we were late tonight," she said, rolling her eyes.

Daniel nodded grimly as he handed her purse, which had fallen on the floor, to her. Sam gave him a little smile as they made their way out of the kitchen into the foyer and then outside. She locked up and then joined him in the car. Daniel squeezed her arm and gave her a quick little smile before starting up the car and heading off.

"Dinner and a movie … should be a lot of fun," he remarked once they'd gotten down to the end of the street.

Sam nodded and secretly hoped that he was right.


	21. Chapter 21 Dinner and a Movie

A/N: Jack fanatics be warned – he is a jerk again in this chapter. Have no fear, though; he will learn his lesson in the next chapter with a little help from Daniel (and possibly Sara). Thanks a bunch to everyone who's given me reviews so far and has stayed with this story. It means a lot!

Chapter 21

Once he pulled into a space in the parking lot behind O'Malley's, Daniel turned to Sam and gave her hand a little squeeze. He noticed that she was very quiet on the drive over and wondered if something was bothering her. Granted, it was a short drive and there wasn't much time for conversation, but she did seem a bit preoccupied.

Sam looked at him and smiled tentatively. As she looked into his eyes, she saw concern reflected in them. Admittedly, she had been very quiet the whole time and he must have been wondering if something was wrong. Yes, there was something preoccupying her, but she couldn't admit to him what it was. She kept thinking back to the webpage about his parents.

After a few moments she realized she would do best to forget about it. They were here to have fun and it wasn't the time or place to agonize over something like this. She relegated it to the back of her mind and gave him a more assured smile before they exited the car.

As they made their way across the parking lot and toward the side of the building, Daniel couldn't help looking at some of the cars and wondering what type of car Jack and Sara would have. He snickered when he saw a black Ford pickup truck with what appeared to be a fishing lure dangling from the rear view mirror. He would find out whether or not his presumption was correct when they met Jack and Sara.

Daniel held the door for Sam as they made their way inside the somewhat darkened vestibule of O'Malley's.

"Huh, I guess they're not here yet," he said as he looked around. He spoke too soon when they spotted two familiar faces sitting at the bar off to their left.

"Hey, there they are!" Sara exclaimed, setting her piña colada down on the counter.

Sam grew a smile and was about to make her way over to them when Sara picked up her glass and entered the vestibule, followed by Jack with beer in hand.

"Great to see you guys," Sara said as she gave Sam a big hug.

Daniel looked at Jack and forced a smile as he politely offered his hand to the older man. "Jack …" he began amiably.

"Daniel …" Jack smiled as he returned the handshake. His eyes wandered as he looked Daniel over. "Hey, short sleeves!" he said jokingly with a toothy grin as he pointed to Daniel's rolled up shirtsleeves.

Daniel shrugged and he managed a crooked grin. "Yeah, figured it was about time I went up into my attic and dug out my summer clothes," he said dryly.

Jack looked at him blankly. "Attic? I thought you lived in an apartment."

Daniel blinked and then fixed him with an incredulous look. "I _do_."

Jack blinked back and Daniel was nearly in disbelief that the man could be this dense. His eyes darted from Jack to Sara to Sam, and he felt a bit uncomfortable at the awkward silence in which they were now mired.

"I was kidding," he finally said.

Jack's eyes widened in realization and then he began laughing sheepishly. Sara soon joined him and before long, they were all laughing.

"Why don't we sit down and get something to eat? I'm starving," Sara remarked once they'd calmed down.

Everyone nodded in agreement and followed the hostess to a booth on the other side of the bar.

* * *

"Now, that looks really good," Sara remarked as she pointed to Jack's large Porterhouse steak.

"It's really _really_ good," Jack replied in between bites. He cut a piece and stabbed it with his fork. "Want some?" he asked cutely as he held it up to Sara.

Sara looked at him and grinned widely. Jack's expression matched hers as he held the fork up to her face and literally fed her the piece of steak. Sara chewed it slowly and made soft "Mmm" sounds, as if she was indulging in it. Finding a bit of steak sauce on the corner of her mouth, Jack picked up his napkin and dabbed at it. Their actions were that of two people who were incredibly smitten with one another, but seemed to be done just for effect. Sam felt Daniel nudge her slightly and when she turned to look at him, he'd briefly rolled his eyes and snorted softly. It caused her to chuckle.

Once Jack replaced the fork, he and Sara looked at them pointedly. Sam coughed nervously and Daniel forced a not-too-innocent smile.

"How was your food?" Jack asked.

Sam and Daniel shared a quick look before turning back around to the other couple. "Oh, uh … fine," Daniel replied nonchalantly.

"Yeah," Sam added. "The Chicken Caesar salad was very good." She pointed to her nearly empty plate.

"Good," Jack said, giving her a genuine smile. "So, how have things been going for you, Sam?"

Sam's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, as she was sure that Jack had asked her that earlier. "Fine," she shrugged. "Things have been slow at work. I'm not advising any students and there's not a whole lot going on in our department, so I've had quite a bit of time off."

"You must be grateful," Jack replied. Daniel warily kept his eye on Jack. He knew that the other man's words were innocent enough, but after the way Jack acted toward Sam at the party, Daniel still wasn't too sure about him.

Sam forced a slight smile. "I guess so. I've been able to catch up on some projects I'd postponed indefinitely."

"That's always nice," Jack said as he gave her a friendly smile. Sam looked downward as she thought she felt Jack's foot come up against her own. Then again, the booth they were sitting in was quite cozy and there wasn't a whole lot of room. She shrugged it off.

At that instant, Daniel felt someone hit his foot. He briefly looked down underneath the table and realized that Jack had hit his foot … hopefully by accident. "What was that?" Daniel asked, giving him an odd look.

Jack's face flushed as he caught his little mistake. "Oh, uh … sorry, I thought I kicked the table leg," he said lamely.

Daniel nodded once, still giving Jack an odd look. Before anything else could happen, the waitress returned. The group refused coffee and dessert, and the waitress left to bring them the check.

* * *

Sam and Daniel waved to Jack and Sara as the black pickup truck with the fishing lure hanging from the rear view mirror pulled out of the parking lot. As they headed back to Daniel's car, Sam caught a somewhat smug grin on his face.

"What?" she asked as she gave him a crooked smile.

"I was right," he said in a self-satisfied tone.

Sam's brow wrinkled in confusion. "About …?"

"When we first got here, I saw that black pickup and, without ever seeing it before, I had a sneaking suspicion that it was his. I wanted to see if my assumption was correct so I'm glad they left first."

Sam looked at him, amused. "That's pretty good, Daniel."

Daniel's slight air of smugness evaporated as he shrugged. "Well, the fishing lure hanging from the rear view mirror sort of helped."

Sam would have none of it. "But, still, I wouldn't have guessed that he drove a black pickup truck," she grinned playfully before giving his arm a squeeze.

Daniel smiled at her. "It was a lucky guess and we'll leave it at that. Okay?"

Sam nodded and smiled widely at him. "Okay," she conceded.

He gave her one last smile before they entered his car. "Wow, we still have about twenty-five minutes before the movie starts," he remarked as he glanced at his watch. "The multiplex isn't too far from here. Want to stop somewhere and get some coffee?"

Sam thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No, we really shouldn't. Sara's expecting us to meet them over there at any minute. If I know her, she probably wants to be there early so she can read the movie trivia questions they flash on the screen every couple of minutes," she said with a wry smile.

Daniel couldn't hold back and started to chuckle. "And her husband calls _me_ a geek?"

Sam shrugged. "I guess he doesn't think that movie buff equals geek."

"Oh, that's very nice, Sam. Thank you for the moral support," Daniel deadpanned.

Sam laughed softly. "I didn't mean it that way. You're not a geek, Daniel and if you can't accept that, then by your definition that makes me a geek as well."

Daniel looked deeply into her eyes. "Someone who's intelligent, inquisitive, bookish, not to mention kind and gentle?"

A faint blush diffused across Sam's features and she put her head down. "I guess," she mumbled.

"I think that's fair," he said, smiling tenderly at her. "We're both geeks." He reached over and embraced her.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she returned, her voice slightly muffled by his shoulder.

Daniel stroked her arm before his eyes drifted down to his watch once more. "Okay, it's just over fifteen minutes before the movie starts. I guess we'd better get going," he said as he gave her a sheepish smile.

Sam giggled softly as he turned the ignition on.

* * *

Just over five minutes later, they had pulled into a parking space at the Colorado Springs Multiplex Cinema. Daniel patted Sam on the arm as they headed for the imposing theater in front of them, looking around the parking lot for any signs of Jack and Sara. Daniel spotted Jack's truck once again, but there was no one in it or standing around it, causing him to shrug.

After they entered the cinema, they were about to head over to one of the ticket counters when Sam felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw Jack smiling at her. His brown eyes pierced her blue-gray ones and she coughed awkwardly. She also noticed that Daniel had left her side and had wandered over to the large snack bar in the middle of the lobby.

"We got tickets already," Sara announced as she suddenly appeared at Jack's side.

"Ah," Sam muttered, nodding as Sara handed two of them to her.

"Where's Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Oh, um … I think he's over by the snack bar," Sam said distractedly as she gestured over in that direction.

Jack shook his head and looked at Sara. "Would you go get him and tell him he doesn't need to bother with any of that? I got it covered."

Sara nodded and was about to head over to the snack bar to retrieve Daniel when he saved her the trouble by rejoining them.

"You wouldn't believe some of the prices for those things," he said disgustedly. "I mean, I know they're huge sizes, but we could have brought our own candy or drinks for much cheaper."

"Not allowed to do that," Jack reminded him as he took out his billfold and counted out some dollar bills.

"I know," Daniel said grimly. "I just wish it was an option." He noticed Jack removing his money and his brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Getting some snacks for us," Jack responded as he looked pointedly at Daniel.

"Oh, y-you don't have to do that," the younger man said, embarrassed.

"Please, it's no big deal. How often do we get a chance to go out to the movies, right, hon?" he addressed Sara as he turned to her and smiled.

Sara smiled back before planting a little kiss on his cheek. "Not as often as I'd like."

Jack was about to make his way to the snack bar when he glanced down at the cell phone strapped to Sara's belt. "You're gonna put that thing on 'mute,' aren't you?" he asked.

Sara rolled her eyes at Jack's malapropism and grinned. "It's 'silent,' not 'mute,' and yes."

Jack held his hands up in defeat and headed over to the candy counter. Noticing Sam and Daniel's confused looks, Sara explained, "My cell phone's been ringing off the hook lately. We're doing a couple of huge flower arrangements for a wedding and everything has to be just so. My employees have been bugging me for help on the consultation. I spelled everything out to them earlier this afternoon, but they're still going crazy with it. The wedding is in two days so it's crunch time."

"Well, it was nice of them not to bug you during dinner," Daniel offered.

"That's because I didn't have it turned on during dinner," Sara smiled. "I wasn't expecting them to call then, so I figured why bother."

"Oh," Daniel said quietly.

Sara turned her head and found that Jack was still on line at the snack bar. "Well, we only have a few minutes before the movie starts. Why don't we start for the theater?"

Sam and Daniel nodded and the three of them traveled down the corridor to the theater in which "Starship Troopers" was playing. As they entered the theater, they were slightly surprised to discover that there weren't many seats filled. Daniel surmised that it was because this was a weeknight and perhaps many people were away on vacation. They reached the middle row of seats and Daniel claimed the fourth one in the row, with Sam on his left and Sara next to her. The aisle seat was saved for Jack.

Once they were all settled in, Sara directed her attention to the screen which, natch, presented movie trivia.

"This well-known actor starred in a string of movies throughout the 1980s, but his most famous were 'Mannequin,' 'Wall Street' and 'Sex, Lies and Videotape.'" Sara squinted as she tried to place the man's face.

"James Spader," Daniel blurted out.

He was met with curious expressions from both Sam and Sara. "What?" he asked.

"I didn't know you knew about James Spader," Sam said quietly.

Daniel shrugged. "Figured everyone knew about him," he answered. Sara had an amused grin on her face as she wondered where Daniel would know him from, and whether he was a big fan of movies like "Mannequin."

The coming attractions were beginning as Jack finally made his way up to them, his arms filled with a bounty of goodies.

"Wow, what have you got there?" Daniel asked curiously as he looked past Sam and Sara.

"A wide assortment of treats," Jack grinned, his eyes twinkling like those of a happy little boy. "Two large buckets of popcorn – wasn't sure if you liked butter or no butter," he shrugged as he handed a bucket to Sara who in turn passed it to Sam.

"Oh, no, butter's fine," Daniel said as Sam placed the bucket in between them.

Jack reached into one of the large cardboard trays that held the treats and produced two large sodas. "Coke okay with you?" he asked as he handed them to Sam and Daniel.

Daniel shrugged. "Sure," he said as Sam nodded.

Jack smiled as he handed another soda to Sara. "Now I have some Twizzlers, Junior Mints, Bon Bons, and Good n Plenty. What'll it be?"

"I'll take the Junior Mints," Daniel said. Jack nodded and handed them to Sara who handed them to Sam and Daniel.

Sam noticed Jack looking expectantly at her and said, "Oh, uh, I'll take the Twizzlers."

Jack smiled and nodded before handing the candy to her. "Then I guess it's Bon Bons for you, Good n Plenty for me," he said to Sara. "Works out great."

Sara smiled and nodded. They all settled in and watched the coming attractions. One of them was for a movie called "Boogie Nights," which, it appeared, took place during the seventies and centered on a young man thirsting for a career as a porno star. Daniel rolled his eyes and snorted as he nudged Sam.

"There's some good entertainment," he said sardonically as he leaned into her. Sam snickered softly and nodded.

Neither of them was expecting Jack to hear. "Hey, that girl in the roller skates ain't too bad-looking," he observed. "Kind of reminds me of you, Sam."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up. "What?" he asked, wondering if he'd heard Jack correctly. Meanwhile, Sam felt her cheeks grow hot and she remained silent.

"I just meant in the face … and the hair … her hair is blonde, too," Jack backpedaled awkwardly.

Sam took a deep breath and resolved to pay full attention to the movie screen. She sat and watched the rest of the coming attractions, waiting not so patiently for the movie to begin.

* * *

They were about a half hour into the movie when Sara suddenly straightened up in her seat.

"Oh, shoot, it's my phone," she muttered. "I better answer this one. I'll be right back."

Sam nodded as Sara got up and moved past Jack before exiting the theater. Sam didn't notice Jack glancing over at her and Daniel curiously every now and then. She was quite engrossed in the movie, although there were times when her eyes would wander over to Sara's vacant seat and she'd catch Jack looking at her. Refusing to let herself be paranoid, she quickly directed her attention back to the screen.

Five minutes later, Sara returned. "Sorry about that."

Sam shrugged and smiled as she saw Sara slide back into her seat and rest her head against Jack's shoulder. Sam turned to Daniel and did the same, causing him to reach up and put his arm around her.

Fifteen minutes later, Sara was scrambling out of Jack's arms and hurriedly making her way out of the theater again to answer another phone call. This time she was gone longer. Jack glanced over at Sam in Daniel's arms and the look in his eyes reflected that he had some serious gears turning in his head.

"Hey, Daniel," he whispered sharply. "I dropped my Coke. Do you think you can get me a new one?"

Daniel turned and looked at Jack curiously. "What?" he whispered back.

"Can you get me a new Coke?" He then gestured to Sam. "And maybe you can get her another one, too?"

Sam's expression matched Daniel's. "I have one. I don't need another," she insisted quietly.

"There's no harm in getting two, especially with that extra salty popcorn," Jack said, unyieldingly.

Daniel sighed and slowly got up from his seat. "I'll be right back," he said to Sam. Sam nodded, still bewildered.

After he was gone, Jack turned to Sam and leaned toward her. "Good movie, huh?" he asked.

Sam nodded and turned back to the screen.

"I mean, the premise is very interesting … very original," Jack continued, whispering to her.

_I'm sure it would be if I could actually hear what they were saying_, Sam thought to herself, starting to get irritated by Jack. She barely nodded while keeping her eyes on the screen.

Jack had moved to the edge of his seat and seemed intent on taking over Sara's seat when the woman in question arrived back from her phone call.

"Sorry about that," she said apologetically. "I'm hoping this will be the last time they need my help."

Sam nodded and looked around for Daniel, wondering why he wasn't back yet. She sighed in relief when she finally spotted him making his way down the aisle.

"Sorry it took so long. There was a line up at the snack bar," Daniel said.

Sam smiled and squeezed his arm. He smiled back and gave her another soda, which she set down on the floor in front of her.

"Where's mine?" Jack asked innocently.

Daniel rolled his eyes and practically thrust the soda at him. "Here," he sighed.

Jack's face lit up as he took the soda from Daniel, took two sips of it, and then set it down next to his other soda. Daniel shook his head.

"Now hopefully we can get back into the movie for once," he remarked quietly to Sam. Sam nodded grimly, not caring that Jack might have heard. They all sat and watched the movie.

* * *

It was twenty minutes later when Sara's phone vibrated, alerting her to yet another call.

"Oh my God," she intoned, annoyed. "How I wish I could just shut this thing off. Sorry, I'd better take this," she said regrettably before she made her way out of the theater again.

Sam sighed, the disruptions really getting on her nerves. She knew that one of two things would happen: either they wouldn't get to watch this movie in totality, or they would see it in totality but walk away not knowing what it was about.

Jack glanced over to his right and found Daniel sitting with his arm around Sam. He then looked down at the empty seat immediately next to him, as if to confirm that Sara was indeed out of the theater.

He decided to use the opportunity to his advantage once again. "Oh, damn. Daniel, I dropped my Good n Plenty's. Would you be a good man and get me another box?"

Daniel felt like Jack was getting on his last nerve. "Why don't you get it yourself?" he asked, a touch surprised at the vehemence in his voice.

Jack's eyes widened and he put on a hurt face. "Well, I … just figured that, since Sara's gone, if I got up someone would steal our seats."

Daniel's face contorted in confusion. "And if I left it would be any different?" he questioned.

Jack shrugged lamely. "Well … yeah? With me here and Sam there, we'll sort of be saving this group of seats, you know?" He waved his hand around the four seats.

Daniel was really trying keep from losing his patience. Why couldn't Jack just get up and get another box of candy himself? "That's a lame excuse if I ever heard one," he mumbled.

"Besides, I don't want to miss any of this. It's great," Jack said, referring to the movie.

"Yeah, like I'm sure you're even watching it," Daniel snorted. He didn't want to stand there and get petty with Jack, so he decided he'd give in and get the candy for him. The older man sure seemed like a spoiled brat. Daniel wondered if Sara treated him like one.

"Okay, fine," he nearly snapped. He edged up out of his seat and, as he approached Jack, held out his hand expectantly.

"Huh?" Jack uttered.

"It's four dollars. If you want them so bad, cough it up. I already paid for the two drinks," Daniel said adamantly.

Realization appeared in Jack's face as he pulled out his billfold and counted out four dollars. He folded them up and handed them to Daniel.

"Thank you," Daniel said coldly. He turned to Sam and looked at her wearily. "I'll be back … hopefully for the last time."

Sam gave him a sympathetic look and squeezed his arm before he made his way out of the theater. She let out a sharp sigh and tried to concentrate again on the movie. It was difficult, as all the interruptions had prevented her from following the story. She felt as if she wanted to throttle Jack for causing most of the interruptions and for insisting that Daniel do all his dirty work. In a lesser way, she felt like she wanted to throttle Sara for insisting on answering her phone calls.

She felt someone touch her shoulder and she nearly gasped when she turned around. Jack had moved over and was sitting in Sara's seat.

"Oops, did I scare you there?" Jack asked, trying to sound apologetic. He sensed she was angry at him and he wanted to ease the tension.

"No," she said as forcefully as possible while keeping her voice quiet. "But I'd like to ask _you_ something: why are you acting like such a jerk?"

Jack appeared to be almost affronted. "What? Jerk? Me?"

Sam shook her head in disbelief. "You keep sending Daniel out on errands that you should be doing yourself. I mean, you're acting like a spoiled brat!

Jack's chest heaved and he sighed as he looked at Sam. Frustration was etched all over her face and he could see how ticked off she was. He liked her and found her to be a very interesting woman. Making her angry would just alienate her from him, even if he only wanted to be her friend.

"I'm sorry, you're right," he answered.

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I guess I was acting kind of stupid. I could have gotten the snacks myself instead. I owe Daniel an apology for that … and you, for interrupting the movie."

Sam continued to look at him bewildered, a bit surprised by what he was saying. She still didn't want to let him off the hook. "Well … um …"

"You're a very sweet person and I'm sorry for all the grief I've caused," he said, giving her a slight smile.

Sam coughed nervously. "Well, I …"

"I guess you weren't expecting that, huh?" he said with a soft, affectionate chuckle.

Sam's face flushed and she shook her head.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this … you smell very nice," he suddenly said.

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Um … how can you tell with all those movie theater smells?" she said awkwardly.

Jack grinned, amused at her comment, and shrugged. "I just have a very discriminating sense of smell," he supplied weakly.

For a moment, Sam forgot how annoyed she was at him, or how awkward she felt and she shook her head, grinning.

Jack didn't think she thought he was serious. "I mean it," he insisted.

Sam smirked and nodded. "Uh-huh."

"No, I do. You smell really nice. There's just something about the way you move, too. You're so graceful."

Sam looked at him with wide eyes and felt her ears burning. Jack was paying so much attention to her that he didn't notice they had company. Their observer made himself known by clearing his throat.

Sam and Jack looked up to see Daniel standing next to the aisle seat. He was giving them, or Jack at least, what passed as a glare. Sam's face felt like it was engulfed in flames.

"What … what the hell is going on here?" Daniel finally said in an eerily quiet tone that was a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Sam stared at him like a deer in headlights – her mouth open but unable to utter a word. Her eyes quickly darted over to Jack and she found that he was speechless as well.

Daniel's eyes bored into Jack's and he looked like he was struggling to maintain his composure. He knew he had to maintain his dignity in a public place like this. He merely shoved the box of Good n Plenty at Jack. Then he looked over at Sam and his glare softened. She thought she saw hurt in his eyes and it crushed her. Daniel didn't say a word before he turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the theater.

Sam looked at Jack and was confused as to what she should do: bawl him out, get up and go after Daniel, or just continue sitting there looking lost. The last option won out. Jack turned to face her, his eyes tinged slightly with regret. He also appeared to be quite embarrassed.

"I'm sorry; I have to get out of here. I need some fresh air," he said. He quickly got up and made his way out of the theater, leaving an emotionally overwhelmed Sam behind.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: This chapter ends a bit awkwardly, but it really goes together with chapter 23. I had to end it where I did because otherwise it would have made the chapter too long. Incidentally, I'd like to thank you guys for sticking with this story. It's become quite a novel but I've had a lot of fun writing it (and I still am).

Chapter 22

Sam watched with a dumbfounded look on her face as Jack quickly left the theater. She was still extremely confused and now in denial over what had just happened. Had Jack tried to get sweet on her? Was Sara still outside on the phone, unable to prevent her husband from overstepping his bounds? Had Daniel witnessed it and possibly gotten the wrong idea that she had welcomed it?

She turned back and stared at the three empty seats that surrounded her and reality began to sink in. She saw Jack's two large sodas ensconced at the foot of the aisle seat and felt bile creeping up into her throat. Sara had told her that Jack could be quite flirtatious, but she'd assured Sam that it was all harmless. Sam really began to question the veracity of that notion. Even if Jack hadn't gotten further than flirting, Sam was worried that he might have, if either Sara or Daniel had been gone longer. She wondered what would happen if she told Sara. Would the other woman seriously consider that her husband was taking a liking to her best friend?

Her eyes drifted over to the seat next to her and she found a large bucket of half-eaten popcorn perched on Daniel's seat. She mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't have been thinking about how Sara would take it when she was so worried about what Daniel had seen. At first, she wanted to get up and go after Daniel, but she was quite emotionally confused and even hurt that he would think she was doing anything she shouldn't be. They'd know each other for more than three months and were the best of friends – hell, more than that. They had such deep understanding and commitment in their relationship, but now it seemed that he didn't trust her, and would no longer trust her.

Sam bit her lip to hold back the tears that threatened to surface. It barely occurred to her that the movie was still on. She quickly glanced at the screen when she heard one of the main characters speaking. Her brow furrowed deeply as she realized she couldn't follow it and didn't know what the heck was going on. Deciding it was a waste to keep sitting there, she decided to head out of the theater. She felt like she was in a trance as she slowly picked herself up off the seat and traversed the aisle toward the door.

After she made her way down the long corridor, she fervently scanned the lobby hoping to see any sign of Daniel, or even Sara. She silently prayed that she wouldn't run into Jack. Right now he repulsed her; not just for the way he flirted with her, but for the way he treated Daniel. It couldn't be more obvious that Jack was scheming to get the younger man out of the theater so he could talk to Sam. The way it coincided with the time Sara was taking a phone call was a dead giveaway. Sam shuddered at the thought.

Neither Sara nor Daniel was anywhere to be found, and Sam didn't have the heart to go back and watch the rest of the movie. She felt numb and decided to stay in the lobby, finding a little spot up against the wall. She sat on the floor, pulled her legs up and rested her arms on top of them. She didn't care if anyone thought she looked ridiculous. She was so distraught over what happened; what a complete stranger thought of her appearance was the least of her worries.

* * *

Daniel escaped the comfort of the air-conditioned cinema for the warm and humid evening air outside. He wasn't exactly thinking rationally but he had a good excuse, as he was still in disbelief over what he'd just seen. He thought Jack made a jerk out of himself when they'd first met, but he seemed like a decent man after he apologized. For this, Daniel was willing to give him another chance. 

All that changed after tonight. He thought something was up when Jack kept conjuring up every poor excuse in the book to get him out of the theater. The spilled-my-Good-n-Plenty one was the last straw. Daniel would have read him the riot act but he wasn't about to make a fool out of himself in a theater full of strangers, and he didn't want to embarrass Sam. He felt like kicking himself when he realized that Jack had planned it during each of the times Sara was out of the theater, in hopes that he could be alone with Sam for a while. It was painfully obvious.

What upset Daniel the most was the fact that Sam didn't seem to be resisting Jack at all. They hadn't noticed right away that Daniel had come back, so he was able to see and hear most of what had gone on. True, it wasn't anything more than words, but he didn't rule out the fact that it could have gone further. He hated himself for thinking that Sam would welcome such advances. They were solely devoted to each other. After he noticed that Jack was very friendly with her at the party, she didn't seem to entertain the thought and reassured Daniel of how committed she was to him. Was he starting to doubt this?

He wondered if he was all wrong in his thinking – that Sam didn't welcome Jack's flirting and that she was actually quite upset about what happened. He wondered if this wasn't what it looked like. He shook his head bitterly upon thinking of that tired old sitcom cliché. But, what if it held true? He loved Sam so much that he had to give her the benefit of the doubt. Why was he finding it so difficult to do that?

Before he could agonize over it any further, he heard a familiar voice not far away …

"Well, fine, just add the baby's breath in small bunches between the roses and carnations! Stella, I've done as much as I can without actually being there with you guys …"

Daniel's eyes widened as he witnessed Sara mired in another call with her employees. From around the corner he could see the exasperation in her face. He began to pity her; not so much for the seemingly hard time she was having on the phone, but for what her husband had done behind her back. True, it was only flirting, but in Daniel's mind it was still cheating on her. He wondered if he should say anything to her.

"Okay, you think it's taken care of? Okay then, I'll be there first thing tomorrow. Until then, don't let it get to you. You guys are doing a lovely job from the sound of it … okay."

Daniel watched as she ended the call and stuck the phone back on her belt with a frustrated sigh. She then looked down at her watch and was about to make her way back around the corner to the front doors when the sound of a sneeze pierced the air and made her turn around.

Daniel silently cursed as he reached for a tissue, his allergies getting to him once again. He blushed as he noticed out of the corner of his eye Sara looking at him.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" she said quietly as she made her way up to him.

Daniel looked into her eyes and then lowered his head. He had no idea where to start.

"Isn't the movie still going?" she tried again. "It's only …"

She trailed off when she noticed his glum expression, almost as if he'd lost his best friend. The fact that he remained quiet told her that it was something serious.

"Did something happen?" she asked as she lowered her head in order to meet his gaze.

Daniel was almost afraid to face her. Deep down he knew it was ridiculous. She wasn't Sam and he hadn't done anything to her personally. But he knew she was a nice woman who loved her husband and didn't deserve to be cheated on in any way, shape or form.

"It's Sam, isn't it," she guessed.

Daniel sighed heavily and Sara knew she was correct. In truth, she was partially correct.

"What happened?" she prodded. "You can tell me."

Daniel nervously raked a hand through his hair and then turned to face her. "Okay," he said with a touch of reluctance in his tone. "You're probably wondering what was going on while you were attending to your phone calls."

Sara looked at him, bewildered. "Uh … no," she began, holding the word out. "Why?"

"Jack kept trying to get me out of the theater so he could get cozy with Sam," Daniel blurted out.

Sara's face contorted in confusion. "What?"

He sighed before continuing. "The first time, he had me get both him and Sam another large Coke, despite the fact that Sam didn't even want one. Then the next time you left, he gave me one of the lamest excuses – that he dropped his Good n Plenty's and wanted more." Daniel's voice rose in exasperation. "I-I don't know why he couldn't get them himself. He told me he didn't want to miss any of the movie. When I came back, he was sitting in my seat and sweet-talking Sam."

Sara's brow furrowed. "What was he saying?"

"'You're a sweet person,' 'you smell nice,' 'you move so gracefully,'" Daniel answered bitterly.

Sara looked at him thoughtfully before a grin spread across her face and she began to chuckle.

Daniel looked at her. "What's so funny?" he asked incredulously. He was quite taken aback from Sara's reaction. Here he was, telling her that her husband was cheating on her and she was laughing over it?

Sara shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's not that I find it funny, it's just that … it's not a big deal."

Daniel gave her a confused look.

"Jack's always been a real flirt. Whenever we'd go out somewhere, like to dinner, he'd sneak in a flirt with other women. He just likes to fool around. Sam knows that he's harmless."

Daniel didn't know whether to believe the last statement or not, but he certainly didn't believe the rest. "Well, it looked pretty serious to me. And, before you say that it couldn't be, I saw that he had his eye on her at the party."

Sara's smile faded and she averted her eyes. She seemed to be seriously considering the fact that Daniel might actually be right. Daniel felt a little twinge of guilt when he realized that he struck a nerve.

"I thought he understood that we – Sam and I – were a couple. I thought that what he was doing was pretty much harmless. And then I witnessed him trying to advance on her just minutes ago … the things he said to her ..."

"And what did _she_ say?"

Daniel shrugged. "I didn't hear much of what she said, but I don't think she dismissed any of it. She didn't seem to be bothered by it … to tell you the truth it's what bothers me the most." He suddenly felt a huge lump in his throat.

Sara quashed the spark of anger at Jack that had briefly flared up inside her and looked at Daniel pitifully.

"She told me after we left your house that she didn't notice Jack being flirty with her. What if she was lying? What if she had noticed and even welcomed it back then?" Daniel asked.

"What are you saying?" Sara asked quietly.

Daniel started to lose the grip on his composure and his eyes glistened with tears. "After we left your house, we went out to dinner and then came back to my place. We had coffee and talked about everything under the sun. We shared our innermost thoughts and feelings. It was one of the greatest nights I'd ever spent with her. Then, last week, she showed up at my door on my birthday with a cake and an embarrassingly extravagant gift … well, to me, anyway. She kept insisting that it wasn't." He laughed bitterly.

Sara studied his face, her sympathy growing. Daniel stopped laughing and sighed heavily. He turned back to Sara and continued, "What if it was all a lie?"

Sara looked at him incredulously, surprised by his question and not thinking for a second that Sam would ever be like that to him.

"What if she's really taken to Jack?" he continued, averting his eyes. "What if, all the time we've spent together since your party and all the things she's done for me, is her way of letting me down easy?" He looked back up at her for her reaction.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked, still surprised.

Daniel sighed again and shrugged his shoulders.

"You honestly believe that she would do that to you?"

"I … I don't know," he replied as he clutched his hair in frustration. "I don't _want_ to believe it. I love and care deeply for her. But, if it is true, I …" He trailed off and shook his head.

"Daniel, listen. I know what kind of a person Sam is. She's sweet, caring, loyal, and tries with all her heart to do the right thing. She's a great friend. I can't ever see her going out of her way to hurt the ones she loves."

Daniel looked at her intently.

"And she really loves you," Sara finished with a slight smile.

Emotion briefly flashed across Daniel's face. He looked like he really wanted to believe her.

"You should hear the way she talks about you. Even when she was going to date that Joe, she was upset and thought it would somehow be cheating on you, even though you two weren't an 'item' yet."

Daniel's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, yes, it's true," Sara confirmed. "Even back then, she really, really cared for you. I don't see how she'd throw everything she has with you away as a result of my husband trying to woo her."

Daniel looked down at the pavement and nodded.

"You can't be sure that she welcomed what he was doing. You just told me you didn't hear much of what she said. You're jumping to conclusions here, Daniel. You should talk to her about it, but before you do, you need to give her the benefit of the doubt."

Daniel sighed once again and blushed faintly as he looked back up at Sara. "I guess I'm being silly, aren't I?" he asked sheepishly.

Sara smiled kindly at him. "Hey, we're all a little silly every now and then." Her tone turned somber. "And I guess I was silly for believing that all of Jack's flirting over the years was harmless. Suppose it's about time that I lay down the law." She stopped herself and rolled her eyes. "God, saying that makes me feel like I'm dealing with a kid … and sadly there's some real truth in that."

Daniel gave her a sad smile. "I hope you guys can work things out."

Sara nodded. "Me, too. I really do love him. Even though he's a big kid, he's always been a real sweetheart to me – a real companion. We have so much in common, and he never fails to put a smile on my face. I wouldn't want to lose him over something as ridiculous as this. I only hope he understands."

Daniel snorted inwardly. He realized how much Sara loved Jack and he wanted her to be happy as well, but Jack seemed like such a dense guy. He only hoped that the older man would understand and mend his ways.

"Come on, let's go back inside. I'm sure Sam's pretty upset," Sara said. "We all need to talk."

Daniel nodded and followed her around the corner to the entrance.

* * *

As they made their way back inside, Daniel felt his heart begin to wrench with guilt. On the far side of the lobby he witnessed Sam sitting up against the wall. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and looked utterly miserable. Her face was red and her cheeks were tear-stained. 

"Sam?" Sara tried as she bent down.

Sam finally looked up and made eye contact with her.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked.

Sam was about to answer when she looked past Sara and saw Daniel standing off to the side. He looked like he was embarrassed and couldn't bring himself to face her. _He's probably still mad at me_, she thought. That thought only made her feel like crying again, but right now she felt emotionally drained.

"Where's Jack?" Sara asked.

Sam felt her chest tighten as she thought back to how awkward Jack made her feel. "He said something about needing some fresh air," she replied, sounding a bit like a mind-numbed robot. She supplemented the reply with a tiny shrug.

Sara looked at her briefly, confused.

"I think I know where he is," Daniel suddenly blurted out. He didn't notice Sara and Sam's bewildered expressions as he headed directly for the Men's room.

Sara watched him walk away and then turned back to Sam. Her eyes filled with pity when she realized how upset Sam was. She sat next to Sam and nudged her.

"Sam, are you okay?" she asked.

Sam gave her a protracted stare and then shook her head slowly.

"Tell me about it," Sara coaxed.

Sam's chest heaved as she took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "God, I don't know where to begin," she said, her voice full of anguish. She turned to look at Sara and saw the sympathy in her eyes. "Sara, I … I felt so awkward, you have no idea."

"Awkward?" Sara asked, furrowing her brow.

"When Jack started making all those comments to me … I smell nice, he likes the way I move …"

"… And you're a sweet person," Sara finished for her.

Sam gave her a curious look.

"Daniel told me," the other woman replied.

Sam felt a huge lump threaten to close up her throat when Sara mentioned Daniel's name. She tried unsuccessfully to hold her tears back and searched her purse for a tissue. "It was so obvious that he was trying to get Daniel out of the theater so he could sweet-talk me," Sam continued, her voice wavering. "He really caught me off-guard when he started pulling that. And then when I saw Daniel standing there, I felt like I wanted to crawl into a hole and bury myself." Her voice was quite bitter and she sniffled loudly. Sara pulled her into a hug.

"And now Daniel's mad at me," she continued, her voice muffled by Sara's shoulder. "I don't blame him one bit. I … I don't deserve him."

"Sam, please don't talk like that," Sara said in soothing tones. "He really cares for you."

Sam sniffled and pulled away from Sara, looking at her expectantly.

"He told me outside just before that he loved and cared deeply for you. He was actually afraid that he was going to lose you to Jack."

"He said that?" Sam asked.

Sara nodded. "He told me that he didn't hear much of what you said to Jack in return. Somehow he thought that you had welcomed Jack's advances."

Sam sighed miserably and the pangs of guilt were replaced by hurt. "The fact that he thinks I would do something that I shouldn't … it really hurts me, Sara."

"I know, Sam. I told him he was jumping to conclusions. He did feel embarrassed about that. I told him to give you the benefit of the doubt before he talks to you. I think I convinced him, but he probably needs a bit more convincing from you."

Sam nodded. "Of course. I just hope that it won't take much convincing. The last thing I'd want is for Daniel to not trust me."

Sara gave her a sad smile.

"What are you going to do about Jack?" Sam asked quietly.

Sara sighed heavily. "I'm going to have to have a talk with him about this flirting business. He's flirted with a lot of women over the years. I always thought it was harmless, but after this incident, I'm not so sure. I'm going to get to the bottom of this and ask him to tell me point blank what's really behind it. I just hope I can make him understand that I won't tolerate this crap any longer. And I hope that he'll accept that."

Sam studied her face and nodded. "I hope so, too."

* * *

Jack was situated in front of a sink in the Men's room, having emerged from one of the stalls seconds earlier. After washing his hands, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and began to replay the preceding events in his head. He almost felt guilty. He admitted to himself that he did find Sam to be a sweet woman who was quite attractive. Was he actually starting to harbor feelings for her? He was married, for crying out loud. 

He rubbed his face and then dried his hands with paper towel. It was at that moment that the door swung open and Daniel entered. His expression was stern and Jack realized he wasn't going to get out of this scot-free.

Daniel looked him over for a moment before asking, "What are you doing?"

Jack immediately looked down at his hands as if he was afraid to face Daniel. He looked back up at the younger man. "I was …" he trailed off. He seemed unsure of what to say.

"… Getting some fresh air," Daniel finished for him.

Jack nodded silently. "How's the movie going? Is it over yet?" he asked in a lame attempt to change the subject.

Daniel wasn't about to dignify that with an answer, so he merely glared at Jack.

Jack shrugged. He pulled the door open and was about to leave when Daniel rushed ahead of him and slammed it shut. He stood with his back up against it, his eyes aglow with anger as he looked at Jack with his arms folded across his chest.

Jack looked at him, almost confused as to why Daniel was denying him any means of exit. "Do you mind?" he asked, a touch of irritation in his voice.

"_Yes_, I do," Daniel shot back. Deep down, he was glad that no one else was in the room. Jack looked at him curiously, prompting Daniel to elaborate, "I'm not letting you get out of this. What the hell were you doing with Sam?"

Jack seemed to play dumb as he gave him another curious look.

"You know what I'm talking about," Daniel said hotly. "You kept scheming to get me out of the theater so you could flirt with her. I heard what you said to her."

Jack gave him a small shrug. "Okay, I admit it: I find Sam attractive. Actually, she's not only attractive; she's sweet. I can't help it – they're the qualities I appreciate in a woman."

Daniel's eyebrows drew together and his mouth dropped open – an expression that was a mix of anger and disbelief. He was completely exasperated by what Jack had said. "Gee, I'm trying so hard to get through to you and it doesn't seem to be working, so let me put this into words that you can actually understand: I saw her first."

Jack stared at Daniel and appeared struck by what the younger man had just said. When he first met Daniel, he seemed quite meek and Jack nearly doubted that he had a backbone.

"There's a reason why Sam was my date this evening, and why she was my date at that party of yours," Daniel continued sarcastically. "And, furthermore, Jack, you have a _wife_."

Emotion briefly shone in Jack's eyes and he looked like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. He averted his eyes and sighed. "Yeah … I know," he answered quietly before turning away from Daniel and heading back over to the sink.

Daniel's face contorted in confusion. "You _know_? That's the best you can do?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes!" Jack shouted. He took in a sharp breath and slowly let it out in an attempt to calm down. There was one nerve inside him that knew what he was doing was wrong, and Daniel's words had struck it.

Daniel studied Jack's face, which had gone from pale when Daniel brought up his wife, to red after he lashed out at the younger man. Jack now looked like he was in agony. Daniel nearly pitied him for a moment before realizing that perhaps he was beginning to learn the error of his ways.

"This isn't the first time, is it?" Daniel finally said, breaking the silence.

Jack averted his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Yeah, I admit it," he finally said, scrubbing his hands through his short, brown hair. "I've flirted with other women before … actually for quite a while, now. I did it right in front of Sara, and she never seemed to think much of it. I …"

Daniel looked at him intently.

"I've realized the bitter truth now," Jack continued, his voice thick with regret. "I'm just a big kid. Sara is a good woman with a good heart, and she deserves someone who's mature and serious once in a while … not me."

Daniel looked at him pointedly. "Bullshit. I know you love her and she loves you. She told me outside that she thought what you were doing was harmless. It took me quite a bit to convince her otherwise. All this time she trusted you, Jack. She told me she loves you and that she would hate to lose you over something so ridiculous."

Jack looked at Daniel thoughtfully before a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah. To be honest, I'd hate to lose her over something like this."

Daniel shot him a confused look, and Jack's smile faded.

"Daniel, I owe you a big-time apology," he began. "I was totally out of line with the way I was … advancing on Sam like that. It was as if I was completely oblivious to the fact that you two were a couple. I was only thinking about myself – not about how my actions might have been affecting you, Sam, and especially Sara. Not to mention I acted like a real jackass, sending you to do my bidding like that."

Daniel blinked, apparently not expecting Jack to be so forthright.

"I know we didn't exactly start off on the right foot, and I can imagine what you think of me after all that's happened tonight. But, I really hope you can forgive me – if not tonight, then sometime in the near future."

At first, Daniel wasn't too sure whether he should believe Jack right off the bat, but the sincerity in the older man's eyes conveyed the notion that he should at least think about it.

"Well," he began tentatively, "I appreciate you being honest with me, Jack. I really hope you understand that Sam is my girlfriend …"

"I do," Jack insisted.

"I really hope so," Daniel continued. "I mean, after the way you acted, I'm not finding it that easy to trust you."

Jack nodded in understanding. "Look," he finally said after a beat. "I promise you that I will be on my best behavior as far as Sam is concerned. I recognize that she's your girlfriend. I like her, I think she's a sweet person, but I love Sara and I want to do everything I can to keep us from breaking apart."

Daniel thought for a moment and then his lips twitched upward in the faintest of smiles. "Okay. I think I can accept that. Just remember that I'm holding you to it."

"I will," Jack confirmed. He gave Daniel a slight smile.

"Good," Daniel answered quietly, his smile growing a bit larger.

"You're a great guy, and Sam is lucky to have you," Jack added.

Daniel's brow knitted in confusion. "You think so? I thought you said I was a geek," he smirked.

Jack held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I didn't mean that to be a bad thing. Hell, some of my best friends are geeks!"

"I'm sure," Daniel mumbled under his breath, amused.

Jack chuckled slightly and shook his head. "What say we go back out and rejoin the girls? We definitely have a lot of explaining to do."

Daniel nodded before leading the way out of the Men's room, still a bit surprised in Jack's relatively quick turnaround.

"You're a good man, Daniel Johnson."

"Jackson," Daniel corrected, furrowing his brow.

"I knew that," Jack grinned.

Daniel rolled his eyes and snickered softly before they made their way back to Sam and Sara.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Daniel's expression grew serious as he and Jack crossed the lobby to the spot where Sam and Sara were sitting. His heart did a somersault as he saw that Sam still looked quite upset. It appeared that Sara was trying to console her.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" Daniel asked. He immediately blushed, realizing what a stupid question that was. Of course they weren't okay.

Sara looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, we're okay." She rose to her feet and looked at Jack gravely. He felt crushed when he witnessed the hurt in her eyes.

"I … I think it's about time we had a talk, Jack," she began.

Jack's eyes met hers and he nodded slowly. He reached out and patted her softly on the shoulder before he looked around the theater.

"Not now," she elaborated. "When we get home."

"Oh, yeah … sure," Jack said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Daniel looked from Jack back down to Sam, who was still sitting down. As their eyes met, he looked at her sorrowfully. He offered his hand to her and she regarded it tentatively before she took it and he helped her up off the floor.

"Daniel," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I … I'm sorry about all of this."

Daniel nodded quickly as his eyes turned to a crowd that was beginning to gather in their area. "We'll talk about it later," he assured her.

Sam felt slightly disappointed with his reply, but she merely nodded.

"It's getting late," Sara suddenly broke in as she looked at her watch. "I think we're going to head for home now." She patted Sam on the arm.

Sam looked at her and nodded.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sara asked her.

Sam briefly looked at Daniel and noticed the repentant look in his eyes. She turned back to Sara. "Yeah, we're … I'm … going to be fine," she said hesitantly, as if she didn't quite believe what she was saying.

Sara smiled and nodded. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Sam nodded.

"I'm really sorry about all of this, Sam," Jack said sincerely. "I didn't realize I'd crossed the line with my behavior. I recognize that you and Daniel are together and if we see more of each other in the future I'll be sure to honor that."

Sam was quite surprised at Jack's admission and she wasn't quite sure whether to believe him. She didn't notice how the wary look Daniel had given Jack had softened into one of respect.

"Well, I … I guess it's okay," she said carefully.

Jack gave her a slight smile. "Sara and I are going to talk things out, and hopefully we can resolve this. I do love her very much and I regret that I didn't realize how my behavior would affect her."

"I hope you guys can work things out," Sam said softly.

"Well, I'm sure we can," Sara said. "And now, we really must be going. Sorry the evening turned out to be such a bust and we missed most of the movie."

Sam gave a slight shrug before Sara and Jack started making their way out the doors.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Sara repeated just before they disappeared from sight.

Once they were gone, Sam and Daniel turned and looked at each other awkwardly, both nearly at a loss as to what to say to each other.

"I … guess we should head back," Sam said timidly.

Daniel nodded silently. He held the door open for Sam as they left the building but had nothing to say.

* * *

The walk back through the parking lot toward Daniel's car was mired in awkward silence. The two of them looked down at their feet as they walked. Every so often, Daniel would sheepishly glance at Sam when she wasn't looking. She would do the same, but neither of them said anything. It was clear that they were both quite uncomfortable.

As they reached Daniel's car, they looked at each other for the first time in ages. Cerulean pierced blue-gray as their eyes met. Sam could see the intense apology reflected in Daniel's face and he could see the deep anguish in hers. They stared at each other a moment longer before they embraced tightly.

Sam felt intense relief and her hardened, emotionless façade finally cracked, allowing tears to stream forth. "Daniel, I am so, so sorry about this."

"Sam, don't," he said soothingly.

"Don't what?" Sam asked, sniffling.

"Don't apologize," Daniel elaborated as he patted her hair down. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I never should have jumped to conclusions like that."

"I mean it, Daniel. I was never interested in Jack. I'm sorry if what you saw before made you think otherwise. I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know, Sam," Daniel replied, his voice full of emotion. He pulled slightly out of their embrace, held her face in his hands, and kissed her lips softly. It was a small gesture but one that was meaningful nonetheless. He stared at her, his eyes apologetic. "Can you ever forgive me for acting like a jackass? It was plain to see that you had no interest in Jack before all of this happened. I should have given you more credit."

"I have to admit that I felt a little hurt when it seemed that you thought I was doing something that I would never do in a million years. Mostly, I just felt really awkward about what happened. Sara is one of my best friends, and for her husband to be flirting with me like that … God, I can just imagine how she must feel." She sighed heavily.

Daniel nodded grimly. "I guess they're going to talk things out. I hope they can come to a resolution – it would be ridiculous for them to break up over something like this, just as it would be for us to grow apart."

Sam felt like she was dealt a blow to her chest. "Daniel? You were worried that we'd grow apart … over this?" she asked in a small voice.

Daniel blushed faintly and nodded. "I know I was jumping to conclusions, and I guess I'm overreacting here, but I was … almost afraid that I'd lose you. I don't think I could ever handle that." His voice nearly caught and he awkwardly cleared his throat.

Sam exhaled slowly and blinked a few tears. "Oh, God, I … I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Sam. It's all my fault – well, no, it's Jack's fault for making advances toward you in the first place, but it's also my fault for presuming that you welcomed his advances. I hope you can forgive me for that."

A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Of course I can," she replied softly as she reached up and began stroking his hair. "You know I love you."

"I do," Daniel nodded, returning her smile. They embraced once more and kissed tenderly. Daniel heard the sound of shuffling feat and quickly directed his eyes off to the side. He blushed when he found a young couple with three kids looking at them curiously. They were shaking their heads, amused, and two of the kids were giggling.

"Well, ah, I suppose we should get going," he said awkwardly.

Sam laughed softly upon witnessing the color change in Daniel's face. She looked past him at the spectators and gave them a playful little wave. The couple gave them a sheepish smile and hurriedly moved their kids in the direction of their car.

"It slipped my mind that this area isn't exactly private," Daniel said, giving her an uneasy smile.

"Hey, I'm just as guilty," Sam grinned.

Daniel chuckled quietly. "Well, I guess we'd better get going all the same. It's getting a bit late."

Sam looked down at her hands and nodded. "Actually, I don't think I'm ready to go home just yet," she said after a pause. She looked quickly back up at Daniel.

* * *

Daniel ended up treating Sam to some ice cream in an old-fashioned ice cream parlor downtown. It was a sort of peace offering, as he still felt very guilty about upsetting her earlier. Actually, he didn't think ice cream was such a bad idea himself; he'd started with a headache and the cold treat helped take the edge off it …

… At least until he ate a bit too much in one sitting.

"Brain freeze?" Sam asked with an amused grin upon seeing him shut his eyes tightly and wince.

Daniel nodded quickly and touched his forehead. He looked back up at Sam and blushed as he caught her grin. Her amused giggles turned affectionate.

"Plus, having two nice, large amalgam fillings doesn't help matters," he said grimly, gesturing to the back of his mouth. "Well, I guess that'll teach me to savor every bit of ice cream as if it were my last."

Sam smiled warmly at him and reached out to pat his arm.

Daniel smiled back before his eyes drifted down to her dish of pineapple sorbet. "How's yours?" he asked.

"Very good," she replied. "I've never had pineapple sorbet before, but it's good – not too sweet."

Daniel nodded. "Good," he said quietly.

"Want to try some?" she asked, gesturing to the dish.

"Oh, ah … no, that's okay," he shook his head. "I still have to work on this." He gestured to his rather large sundae that consisted of coffee ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and marshmallow sauces, crumbled Oreo cookies and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and whipped cream.

Sam shook her head and grinned. "Do you usually get that?"

"I don't come here very often anymore, but they remember me well enough … I guess you could say that this is my usual."

"I don't see how you can eat all that and be so thin," she said.

Daniel shrugged. "Performing archaeological digs involves some semblance of physical activity. I guess that keeps me in shape," he said unconvincingly.

Sam looked as if she wasn't buying it. "Really? How often do you do that, Daniel? I mean, it's not on a weekly basis … right?"

Daniel blushed faintly. "No. Okay, to be honest, I've always been thin. My parents have always been thin, so I guess it's partly genetic – metabolism and all that."

Sam noticed that his voice became slightly agitated when he mentioned his parents and she instantly regretted pushing this subject. "Well, it's not really a big deal," she said in a small voice. "I was just thinking how lucky you are. Sorry." She averted her eyes.

Daniel sighed. "No, it's okay." He gave her a faint smile when she looked back up at him. "Actually, you're quite lucky yourself. You're in very good shape, Sam."

Sam blushed. "I, uh … thanks," she said, not expecting the compliment. "I try to exercise as much as I can. I mostly walk and do a little bit of running …"

Daniel looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah, I've always been thin, too," she conceded. "So has my brother. I guess we have Dad to thank for that … or Mom …" She trailed off and looked away.

Her gaze returned to Daniel when she heard him speak again. "We're both lucky."

She gave him a genuine smile. "In more ways than one," she said.

Daniel smiled back before directing his attention back to his sundae. "Guess I better try finishing this before it melts," he said dryly, prompting an affectionate chuckle from Sam.

* * *

It was close to eleven o'clock when they finally arrived back at Sam's house. After the ice cream, they spent a bit of time walking the unusually quiet streets of downtown Colorado Springs, arm in arm, just talking about whatever subject came to mind. However, the incident earlier that evening did not come up in their conversation at all. They talked about their experiences with living in Colorado Springs, especially about how they were different from those where they'd lived previously.

When Daniel pulled up in front of her house, Sam asked if he would like to stay for a bit, with the promise of some coffee. Daniel would have declined, thinking that the coffee ice cream was enough, but he didn't want to pass up an excuse to spend just a little more time with her.

Finally, just before he was about to leave, Sam brought up the subject of what happened in the theater. Even though they'd both atoned for their misunderstandings, they hadn't really talked about it much at all and she wanted to reiterate that Jack's advances were unwelcome.

Daniel felt that she didn't have to do such a thing. He knew that he was wrong for immediately assuming that she appreciated Jack's advances. If anything, he was upset that he'd hurt her. Still, if she felt better in getting it off of her chest, Daniel didn't object to it.

"Daniel, I love you and I always will," she declared as her eyes bored into his. "No one can take your place. I really hope that you understand that now."

Daniel beamed at her. "I do, Sam," he replied softly. "I do."

With that, they locked lips and kissed softly. Aware of how deep their love was for one another, they were reluctant to bring it to an end. Unfortunately, it was very late and they were both exhausted after all that had happened earlier.

Daniel reluctantly pulled away from her and looked soulfully into her eyes. As she took in his handsome chiseled features, Sam had to try hard to stifle some animal instinct that threatened to take over. For the most part, she succeeded.

"Can you stay the night?" she suddenly blurted out, as if she wasn't quite aware of what she was saying. Unfortunately, she was.

"S-Sam?" Daniel suddenly stuttered. "Are you sure?"

Sam blushed furiously. She was of two minds: really wanting Daniel's company, but not wanting to rush too quickly into things for fear of driving him away. "I … um … well, I just don't want to be alone tonight," she said weakly.

Daniel studied her face and then nodded in understanding. "Okay."

"I just don't know what we're going to do about sleeping arrangements," she said, nervously scratching the back of her neck. "I have a spare room, but there's a pile of junk in there since I don't use it much. I, um … I guess you can take my bed and I'll sleep on the floor …"

Daniel held up his hands. "Sam, no. I could never make you do that. I'll take the couch," he said, hooking his thumb in the direction of said piece of furniture.

Sam's brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

Daniel nodded. "I don't want to inconvenience you. This will be fine."

Sam looked back up at him and reluctantly nodded. "Okay. If you need any blankets, I have some in the hall closet."

Daniel shook his head. "No, that's all right."

"Oh. Okay," Sam said quietly.

Daniel smiled at her before he put his arm around her and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Sam."

Sam beamed. "Goodnight, Daniel," she said before making her way down the hall.

* * *

Daniel left rather early the next day to go home and feed his fish. Sam received a promise of a phone call and reluctantly said goodbye to him. She blushed faintly upon remembering that she couldn't sleep too well the night before and had ventured out into the living room. She'd found Daniel snoring softly with his glasses crooked upon his face and a magazine spread across his lap. Grinning, she'd removed the glasses and set them down on the coffee table, replacing the magazine as well. She eyed the afghan that was draped over the top of the couch and, without a second thought, removed it and spread it over Daniel. She then took to stroking his long hair and pushing it back from his face before planting a kiss on his lips. Watching him sleep so serenely made her feel better and she was able to get some sleep. When he awoke the next morning, he didn't question the fact that his glasses had been removed during the night. He had a pretty good idea of how the afghan got there, but he didn't question that either.

Not long after he'd left, Sara called Sam. Apparently, she and Jack had had a long talk regarding Jack's behavior. Luckily they had come to a resolution and were going to work things out. Even though it would be hard to keep from being a big kid, Jack promised that he would treat Sara with nothing but respect – which meant cutting out the flirting. Sam was very happy to hear that they had worked it out, as she knew they belonged together and wanted her best friend to be happy.

She'd spoken to Daniel the next day and told him as well. He seemed glad that the two of them had come to an understanding and especially that Jack was going to try hard to mend his ways. Their conversation was quite short and Sam didn't see very much of Daniel in the following week. She only interacted with him through sporadic phone calls. He was intensely apologetic whenever he spoke to her, but he insisted that he was quite busy.

It was the evening of July 28th when Sam received an unexpected surprise. It was a fairly warm evening and she was decked out in a short sleeved, floral print t-shirt and a pair of denim cutoffs. She sat barefoot in a chair in her home office, casually reading a book that she'd been meaning to finish for several months. It was a book about relationships and how to figure guys out. She'd bought it back around the time she started communicating with Joe.

She grinned upon reading one specific sentence: "If a guy is really into you, he'll move mountains to be with you." It reminded her of Daniel. Her grin faded when the reality that they hadn't been together for just over a week sunk in. Granted, he said he was busy and he did talk to her on the phone, but she was really starting to miss being with him.

She was about to go back to reading when the doorbell suddenly rang. Sam nearly jumped out of her seat. She glanced at the clock and realized that it was just after eight o'clock.

_Who would be bothering me at this hour?_ she wondered as she recovered. She threw the book down on her desk and sauntered out of the room, not bothering to put her shoes on.

When she opened the front door, her heart nearly leapt up into her throat.

"Hi, Sam," Daniel said shyly. His warm smile and timid tone of voice were at odds with each other.

It was Daniel. Daniel was standing in front of her door. Daniel was standing in front of her door, wearing a light blue dress shirt and dark gray dress pants.

"Uh … D-Daniel," she stammered, finally finding her voice. "I, um … Hi!" Her cheeks flamed when she realized she sounded like an awkward adolescent.

Daniel chuckled affectionately before giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. As he studied her face, he remembered the reason he was standing in front of her door and his smile slowly faded. "Sam, I have to talk to you about something important," he said earnestly.

Sam looked at him curiously before giving a small shrug. "Okay. Come on in …"

"No," Daniel interrupted. "I … I can't. Will you take a ride with me?"

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. "Well, yeah, I guess so," she said. "Just give me a few minutes to change." She looked ruefully down at the very casual clothes she was wearing.

"No, that's okay. You really don't have to," Daniel insisted.

"Oh," Sam said after a beat. "Okay. Can I at least put my shoes on?" She gave him a crooked grin.

Daniel laughed softly. "Sure."

Sam smiled and gestured for him to enter before making her way back to her home office. Daniel waited in the foyer until she returned two minutes later, wearing an old pair of running shoes.

She grabbed her purse off the table and locked up as Daniel made his way outside. Not a word was exchanged between them as they entered the car. Daniel gave her an endearing smile before he turned the ignition on. Sam leaned her head back and sighed, trying not to let her curiosity get the better of her as they set off in their journey to God-knows-where.

Or, perhaps more appropriately, to Daniel-knows-where.


	24. Chapter 24 A Modest, Well, You Know

Chapter 24

Sam lifted her head and looked at Daniel curiously. He didn't say a word and kept his eyes straight ahead on the road. The further they got away from her house, the more her anticipation grew. It was supplemented with a tiny spark of uncertainty born out of Daniel's slightly strange behavior, especially not wanting to enter her house and being so insistent on going for a ride. She tried to laugh it off. This was Daniel – she trusted him completely. She had nothing to worry about.

She looked out her window and admired the view of the mountains as they drove through the little town of Cascade. Daniel remained silent and appeared determined. Determined to do what? she wondered.

"It's beautiful out here," she finally remarked. "I've never been out this way." She looked over at Daniel, waiting for him to say something.

"Mmm," he replied. "I haven't either."

Sam gave him an odd look. So, this was what he was doing? Just driving aimlessly, not knowing or caring where they would end up? Not that there was really anything wrong with that …

"Ah … one of my colleagues in Anthropology told me about it – told me that the view was gorgeous. It's a nice night so I figured a drive out this way wouldn't hurt," he answered carefully.

Sam regarded him with a bit of suspicion in her eyes. The tone of Daniel's voice revealed that he was holding something back.

As the sun began setting and dusk approached, the mountains seemed bathed in a warm glow. It only made them appear more beautiful. Sam could appreciate them to the fullest if she only knew what Daniel had in store for her. Her eyes widened as the mountains seemed to draw nearer and she recognized Pikes Peak. Even though she'd never really been there, she'd seen pictures of it.

Daniel merged off of the highway and onto a paved road that led to a tollbooth. The sign on the right revealed the road to be Pikes Peak Highway. Sam felt bad when Daniel shelled out some money and paid the man at the booth.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" she asked as she instantly fumbled with her purse.

"Sam, honestly it's okay," he insisted.

"But …"

"Please," Daniel said quietly but firmly as his eyes pierced hers.

Sam blinked and then nodded. "Okay."

Daniel thanked the man and then began heading down the road. Almost immediately, the road began to rise steeply and Daniel was glad that his car, even though it was a sedan, was equipped for such terrain. As they began their slow, steady ascent, Sam looked out her window and found not much more than thick forest on either side. In the twilight, the forest appeared dark and almost sinister. The myriad of sounds coming from it – including owls, various insects, and the occasional snapping of twigs – created the perfect backdrop for a good, old-fashioned ghost story. She leaned back and chuckled inwardly. An image of her and Daniel sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and trying to scare each other with such stories had entered her mind.

Daniel was building to the climax of a story based on ancient folklore that was really scaring the wits out of Sam. Just as he was about to end, he paused and, without warning, shouted and jumped at her. Sam let out a yelp and as she attempted to compose herself, she scowled at Daniel who was beside himself with amusement. She admonished him for scaring her half to death and smacked him upside the head. Daniel's teasing laughter subsided and he looked at her with apologetic eyes as he edged closer and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Before either of them knew it, they were kissing passionately, their hands caressing and fondling every inch of exposed flesh. They ended up on the forest floor, moaning in ecstasy and proceeding to rip each other's clothes off…

Sam's eyes widened and she bolted upright. She blushed when she realized how intense her reverie had become. She began to seriously question whether having these kinds of thoughts was wrong. True, she and Daniel were in a serious relationship, but she'd never experienced these kinds of thoughts about any man before. One of her basic philosophies was that it was wise not to think about jumping into bed with a man until after you were married. Perhaps that made her out to be a prude in the eyes of some, but she didn't care.

She then realized what these images were trying to tell her: she loved Daniel as the complete person, soul _and_ body. She hadn't been acquainted with the 'body' part, but it seemed that, deep down she was really yearning to and hoped that she'd get the chance; if not now, at least eventually. She sighed deeply and looked down at her lap.

"Sam?" Daniel asked, glancing at her and furrowing his brow. "You've been very quiet."

Sam gave him a tiny shrug and adopted a crooked smile. "You haven't been very talkative yourself," she said challengingly.

Daniel nodded. "I know, it's just that … well, you seem very, ah, contemplative. What are you thinking?"

She had barely noticed that they'd come to a small break in the forest. Daniel pulled over with the intention of getting out and enjoying the view of the overlook to their left. She lifted her gaze and met his eyes, clear blue orbs that were shining with question and concern.

"Nothing much, just … things," she said weakly.

"Things?" Daniel repeated curiously.

Sam nodded and awkwardly cleared her throat. Daniel squeezed her arm and gave her a little smile.

"Well, I don't blame you. I've had a lot on my mind, too. The first overlook is this way. Why don't we go check out the view?" he asked hopefully, gesturing to the clearing on his left.

Sam forced a smile and nodded. They climbed out of the car and slowly walked over to the area in question. They were greeted with a breathtaking view that overlooked Cascade and the valley back to Colorado Springs. Sam was nearly in awe of what lie out beneath them. Being up so high made her feel like a bird, wanting to spread her wings and fly. It was exhilarating and she let out a small, giddy laugh.

Daniel placed his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "It's a wonderful view, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"It sure is," she sighed. She adopted an impish grin. "Hey, I think I can see my house down there," she said as she pointed to a random structure in the area of Colorado Springs.

"What makes you think that's your house? I'm willing to bet it's my apartment complex," Daniel said, teasing her in a mock smug tone.

Sam grinned widely and snickered. "Does it really matter?" she asked. She supplemented her question with a quick kiss on the lips.

A very faint blush colored Daniel's cheeks for a brief moment. His lips edged upward into a soft smile. "No," he said softly before kissing her back.

Sam beamed up at him and Daniel regarded her affectionately. He turned and looked back toward his car. "Well, it's really starting to get dark now and I believe that even better scenery awaits us. Shall we?" he asked as he held out his arm for her.

Sam nodded and they hooked arms as they made their way back toward the forest.

* * *

After several more miles, the forest began to thin out and a somewhat large body of water became visible on their left. From where she was sitting, Sam couldn't see much, but after driving through all that forest she nearly begged Daniel to stop.

Fortunately, he saved her the trouble, pulling off to the right close to a large tree that featured a sign reading "Crystal Reservoir."

Sam exited the car and began walking toward the lake, Daniel soon catching up to her. They stopped short of a low stone embankment that separated them from the water's edge. The nearly full moon was reflected in the crystal clear water, creating a stunning, magical effect. The water was so calm and clear that they might as well have been peering into a mirror. Sam gaped when she lifted her gaze and was greeted with a view of Pikes Peak across the lake. Accented by moonlight, the enormous geological feature was a magnificent beacon.

"Oh, wow," Sam murmured.

She now felt like kicking herself for never having been here after several years of living in the area. The beautiful view afforded them reminded her so much of the view she enjoyed near her home of the little creek and the mountains in the distance. Sam had thought that one was hard to top, but the sight stretched out in front of her proved otherwise.

"It's gorgeous, Daniel," she said quietly.

Daniel nodded and placed his arm around her. "Why don't we head over there?" he asked, pointing to a narrow dock that jutted out into the water some fifty yards in front of them.

Sam nodded silently. They were about start walking over there when they heard a faint clinking noise, followed by muffled swearing.

Daniel and Sam whirled around, expecting to find someone in back of them. They took a few steps and found a short man with glasses and very short, platinum blonde hair stooped next to a Jeep, inspecting one of the tires. A young woman was waiting in the passenger seat. Daniel sighed, frustrated at the intruder who'd barged in on their quiet time together. When it seemed that the man had a flat tire, the frustration nearly ebbed away and was replaced by pity.

Daniel timidly made his way over to the man. "Problem?" he asked shyly.

The young man turned and almost jumped in surprise. Daniel's eyes widened.

"Uh … sorry, you kind of scared me there," the man chuckled sheepishly.

Daniel shrugged. "Sorry. I just noticed that you seemed to be having a little trouble."

The short man nodded grimly. "I came here with my fiancée, you know, to enjoy that wonderful view," he began.

Daniel nodded and snorted inwardly, slightly annoyed that his idea was apparently not original.

"Everything was fine on the way down. We even stopped at that depot halfway up to make sure the brakes weren't overheated - no problems whatsoever. It was after we passed Glen Cove that the tire gave out. There's a few big rocks jutting out across the road and I guess I came a little too close to one of them." He winced slightly before continuing. "Luckily I was able to just coast over to this area."

Daniel nodded sympathetically. "Do you need any help, ah …?" he asked, wondering what to call their new acquaintance.

"Walter," the man supplied. "Walter Davis. And, yes, I'd really appreciate it. I haven't had too many flats in my time driving so …"

"I have," Daniel said. "I'm an archaeologist and I've driven over many different types of terrain. I've learned to be prepared for anything in that respect."

"Oh, that's good," Walter said, distracted, as he readied his spare tire. "So, you say you're an archaeologist, um …?"

"Daniel … Jackson," Daniel returned. "Yes, I teach archaeology and anthropology at UCCS."

Walter nodded, seemingly impressed.

Sam felt pangs of disappointment well up inside her as she watched Daniel help Walter remove the flat tire. The evening had started out so wonderful with just the two of them enjoying a lovely view, and now all that was put aside so that Daniel could help a complete stranger fix a flat tire. She leaned up against a tree and sighed bitterly.

Walter's fiancée exited the Jeep and walked over to them. "Do you think you can fix it?" she asked.

Daniel failed to look at her and nodded. "Yeah, it shouldn't be any problem …" He trailed off and finally lifted his gaze. He looked at her curiously.

"This is my fiancée, Karen," Walter beamed. "She's a botanist."

Daniel looked at her and smiled politely. "Nice to meet you," he said.

The young redhead smiled and nodded.

Daniel looked past them, searching out Sam so he could do a bit of bragging himself. "And this is my …" He trailed off, not quite sure what to call Sam. Was she a girlfriend? No, she was much more than that.

"This is my dear, close friend, Sam," he finally said.

Sam blushed faintly as she made her way over to them. Walter regarded her with a friendly smile. "Hi," he said.

"Um, hi," Sam said shyly.

Walter looked at her expectantly. It prompted her to continue, "I also teach at UCCS … astrophysics."

Walter looked from her to Daniel and his face cracked open in a grin. "Did you guys meet there?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Ah … not exactly," Daniel replied. "But you're close."

Walter looked at him and blinked. "Oh." He turned to Sam. "You teach astrophysics?"

"Right," Sam nodded.

"What a coincidence. I work as a curator and guide for the Museum of Space Exploration," he continued.

Sam looked at him seriously. "You're kidding!" she said, intrigued.

"Nope, I've been working there for the past year and a half," he said proudly.

"I visited it once or twice not long after I moved here, but I never got a chance after that," she said with a touch of regret in her voice.

"Oh, well, you should come by one day," Walter said insistently. "You guys come to the front desk and I'll give you a little tour. We just got a new exhibit in this past week."

Sam bit back a giggle at Walter's enthusiasm. She merely smiled and nodded.

"Sounds good," Daniel muttered as he helped Walter fit the spare tire on. "So you say that's the Museum of Space Exploration?"

"Yeah," Walter confirmed. "The John May Space Museum – it's right next to the Golden Eagle Ranch RV Park on Rock Creek Canyon Road."

Daniel nodded and sighed as they succeeded in securing the spare tire. "Well, I think that's it."

"Great, I really can't tell you how much I appreciate this," Walter gushed. He reached out and shook Daniel's hand.

"Oh, no, please, it's okay," Daniel said humbly.

"No, really … I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't run into you," he insisted.

"I'm happy to help," Daniel said.

Walter nodded. "So, are you guys going all the way up to the top, then?" he smiled.

Daniel looked quickly over at Sam. "Oh, ah … no, I don't think so."

"Too bad," Walter shrugged. "There are some great panoramic views up there. Only problem is that there aren't any guardrails or anything, so you really have to use caution. I heard that one unlucky woman plunged over the side to her death earlier this year."

Sam and Daniel exchanged uneasy looks.

"And then you have to make sure you have at least a half of a tank of gas … and make sure that your car or brakes don't overheat. Then there's the fact that you have to shift down to first gear in this one spot where …"

Daniel nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, I, ah … I get it," he said, beginning to grow impatient.

"Well, we better get going. Thanks again. It was nice meeting you," Walter said.

Sam and Daniel smiled and waved to them as they drove off. Once they were gone from sight, Daniel sighed and turned back to Sam.

"Solitude at last … I hope," he said wearily. Sam chuckled affectionately.

"I mean, I was happy to help him – no argument there. But I really wanted to get back to our time together," he added as he looked into her eyes.

Sam nodded and gave him a genuine smile. They headed back over to the dock and walked about halfway down it. The water was just feet below them on either side and was so clear that they could see their reflection in it. Sam smiled from ear to ear when she caught the reflection of her and Daniel's faces. The image was suddenly disturbed when a series of very small waves moved across it, resulting from a small breeze blowing off the water.

The breeze was cool, almost chilly, and Sam began to rub her arms. Daniel noticed immediately.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Oh, uh … no, I just thought I got bitten by something," she lied.

Daniel gave her a dubious look and then shrugged resignedly.

"They seemed like nice people," Sam said, distracted as she looked out over the water.

Daniel nodded. "He works at the Space Museum … I would have thought you'd have been there more than twice," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Sam shrugged. "I was so busy at work I didn't really have time to get down there. To be honest, it really wasn't anything to sneeze at. I mean, they had some interesting things, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Air and Space Museum in D.C."

"Well, maybe it's changed since then. He said himself that they just got a new exhibit there. We should check it out all the same."

Sam looked at him and smiled. The fact that he was showing appreciation for one of her interests actually touched her. She absent-mindedly looked down at her wrist as he took her hand and began to caress it. The emerald bracelet that she'd made a habit of wearing every day now sparkled against the moonlight. As she deeply admired it for perhaps the one millionth time, she didn't think she'd ever received a more beautiful gift.

That was about to change, however.

Daniel reluctantly let go and stuck his hand inside his pant pocket. Seconds later he removed a small, navy felt covered box. He clutched it tightly in his hand as if he was hiding it. He seemed as if he was a bit unsure of what he was doing, or perhaps his shyness was getting the better of him.

"Sam," he began tentatively. "The reason you didn't see me for a week was because I had a lot of thinking to do … thinking about you, thinking about me, thinking about _us_ – together. All this thinking has led me to believe that, at this point in time, everything between us is just as it should be. I know what I'm feeling is right. We love each other and trust each other with our lives. Not only that, but we're still the best of friends. I couldn't think of a better time or a better place than this for what I'm about to say."

Sam's eyes widened as Daniel uncovered the box and shyly handed it to her. Her curiosity mounted as she slowly lifted the lid.

What she found inside made her jaw drop. It was a ring with a modest-sized diamond surrounded by two smaller emeralds. Sam blinked furiously as her eyes began to sting with tears.

"Daniel, it's … it's beautiful," she said softly, finally finding her voice.

An endearing smile spread across Daniel's face and his eyes bored into hers. "Like you," he nearly whispered. This time he didn't blush.

Sam's lip trembled as she struggled with her composure. Daniel removed the ring and slid it onto her ring finger where it rested comfortably. He then took hold of her hand once again.

"Sam, I know we've only known each other for close to four months, but we've gotten to know each other so well in that time. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, we know each other's life stories, and we know each other's deepest and darkest secrets. I'm not so sure I believe in destiny, but our relationship might just change that. It's funny how a cup of coffee can bring two people together," he finished with a slight grin.

Sam gave him a watery smile and sniffled. He gave her a little smile and then his expression became more serious.

"I'll get right to the point. Sam, I love you and I can't think of anyone else I'd want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?"

Sam's tears threatened to cloud her vision and she blinked rapidly. "Daniel … I … Oh, God, yes," she answered, her voice faltering.

She threw her arms around Daniel and he hugged her tightly. "Yes!" she repeated as she tried to choke back a sob of joy. Daniel held her for a while longer and then stepped back, looked deeply into her eyes, and bestowed a slow, passionate kiss upon her. Their tongues intertwined and Sam's hands found the back of Daniel's head, her fingers snaking through the long, soft strands of hair. They both uttered low moans of pleasure, thoroughly enjoying every moment of the kiss. Daniel's fingers had worked their way down the back of Sam's neck and were about to slide underneath the collar of her t-shirt when she jumped slightly at the sensation of his cold hands touching her skin.

Daniel's eyes instantly became apologetic and he blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?" he asked, worried.

Sam blushed madly herself and awkwardly looked away. "No, I … just didn't think your hands were that cold."

He touched her hands and found that they were cold as well. "I've got a blanket in my car," he finally said, determined not to leave this beautiful, serene area just yet. "Want me to get it?"

Sam shook her head adamantly. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concern reflected in his eyes.

Sam nodded and Daniel finally let it go. They stood on the dock, looking out at the crystal clear water that surrounded them and the magnificent peak looming across the lake. The soft, gentle sound of water lapping at the edge added to the calming effect. Daniel put his arm around Sam and pulled her closer to him. He looked down at his new fiancée with a serene smile, content in the way things had turned out. She had accepted his proposal and that was the last reassurance he needed that she loved him.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Daniel's eyebrows drew together when he noticed Sam shivering against him every time a breeze swept by. He noticed that the temperature had dropped quite a bit in the past hour. It wasn't exactly freezing, but still enough to make you uncomfortable if you were wearing shorts and short sleeves, as Sam was. He'd pulled her closer to him to keep her warm, but it still seemed that she was cold. Every so often, she would turn to him and smile, as if to assure him that she was fine despite the fact that she was shivering. Daniel returned the smiles, but after ten more minutes of Sam shivering, he decided he couldn't bear to see her like that any longer. He pulled apart from her and began slowly walking back up the dock.

Sam looked at him curiously and began to follow him. He stopped walking when he noticed her following him and he glanced back at her. She looked around and noticed the area they were now in. They still had a lovely view of the lake and the mountain, but some dwarf trees and small shrubs partially shielded them from the breeze off the water. After another moment of gazing at her, Daniel turned and headed further back, almost in the direction of his car.

This time, Sam didn't follow him. "Daniel?" she asked inquisitively. "Where are you going?"

"Stay right there," Daniel answered simply. "Don't worry, I'll be right back." With that, he turned and kept walking.

Sam looked at him bewilderingly before shrugging and sitting down in the soft brush. A shiver went down her spine as the somewhat course blades of grass tickled her bare legs. She wrapped her arms protectively around herself and hoped that Daniel wouldn't take too long, wherever he had gone.

Minutes later, Daniel returned with a bundle of something in his arms. He nearly took Sam by surprise as he suddenly appeared at her side, sitting down next to her. Her eyes widened as he draped a light blanket across her and pulled her close to him.

"I thought I told you I wasn't cold," she insisted with an amused smile.

"Oh, so I take it that shivering was because you were … afraid of something?" Daniel asked teasingly.

"No," Sam retorted playfully. "Besides, what is there to be afraid of out here?" she inquired, looking around.

Daniel's gaze followed hers. "Well, the fact that we're out here all alone, with the creepy, dark woods just beyond us," he said impishly.

Sam rolled her eyes and snorted. "You should have saved that for when we were actually in the woods back there," she replied. She put all kidding aside and gazed into his eyes. "As long as I'm with you, nothing can scare me," she said softly.

Her admission caused Daniel to smile tenderly and he responded by giving her a soft kiss on the lips. "Still cold?" he asked her.

Sam smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm okay."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Because I'm starting to feel chilly myself," he remarked grimly as he began rubbing his hands together.

Sam grinned broadly as he took up some of the blanket and snuggled under it with her. She had to bite back an amused chuckle for he reminded her of a little boy with his security blanket wrapped around him. All that was missing was a teddy bear. She ended up laughing softly as he took hold of her and they both snuggled up together.

They'd grown serious again and were enjoying the view when a sound that closely resembled that of an airplane pierced the air. Sam directed her gaze up toward the sky in the vicinity of the mountain, and noticed something odd hovering in the air.

"What the heck is that?" she muttered, getting Daniel's attention. He looked at her curiously and his eyes followed to wear she was pointing.

It appeared to be a round, silver object, with a blinking light or lights at the base. Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion and his mouth dropped open slightly as he tried to guess what it was.

His curious expression soon melted and he shrugged. "It's probably a weather balloon," he said.

Sam's eyebrows drew together. "Making a sound like that?" she asked dubiously.

Daniel looked back up at the object once again. "Airplane?" he offered again.

"In that shape?" she asked, pointing to it once more.

Daniel sighed, frustrated, as he too was interested in the object but, for the life of him, couldn't figure out what it was. He waited until it drew closer to them and he could make out the word "Goodyear." He sighed and shut his eyes, embarrassed for failing to recognize that it was only a blimp.

Sam snickered and blushed faintly. "I can't believe that's all it was," she said.

"You sound almost disappointed," Daniel said, looking into her eyes.

She gave a tiny shrug. "I thought it might be something we've never seen before, even something as out there as a UFO." She blushed a bit more as she noticed Daniel regarding her curiously. She cleared her throat awkwardly and turned her gaze up toward the bright stars that had emerged in the clear sky.

"Do you ever wonder if we're ever alone in the universe?" she pondered aloud. Daniel looked up at the sky as well, but failed to answer her. It prompted her to continue. "Do you believe that aliens exist, Daniel?" she questioned as she touched his arm.

He directed his gaze back to her, but still didn't answer.

Unfazed, Sam continued, "I've wondered it since I was a little girl, when I used to watch shows like Star Trek."

That comment prompted a laugh from Daniel – not a derisive laugh, but a teasing, playful one. "Are you a Trekkie, Sam?" he asked between chuckles.

Sam's cheeks flamed. "No, no, I'm not," she insisted, shaking her head forcefully. "My brother used to watch it a lot; I'd just catch it in passing. Then, when I was on the whole astronaut kick, and especially when I got into astrophysics, I really began wondering about it. It made me wonder if there were other planets out there that could support life and were teeming with it – if not in this galaxy, then in some far off, distant one." She finished her statement thoughtfully.

Daniel had stopped laughing and regarded her more seriously as he listened to her. He looked at her for a moment, then looked down at his hands, and then finally back up at the sky. "I think anything is possible," he said vaguely.

Sam regarded his answer oddly. She'd just remembered what he had told her months back about his former student's theory – the one that dealt with the pyramids in Egypt being used as landing pads for a race of aliens. She remembered that he'd laughed it off, and that fact was now at odds with the statement he'd just given her. Perhaps Daniel didn't think it was as far-fetched as he'd originally let on?

"I just don't think that we should rule out _any_thing," he continued, having caught Sam's look.

"Really?" she said, still not buying it. It did seem that he was holding something back.

Daniel simply nodded. She finally let it go when he pulled her even closer to him, cuddling under the blanket and giving her soft kisses.

For a while, neither of them said anything. They partook of the gorgeous view, of the happiness of being in each other's company, and of the welcome solitude. Suddenly, an important realization came to Daniel and he straightened up slightly. He looked at Sam a bit worriedly.

"Sam, there's something else," he said earnestly. "Something else that I haven't told you, but it's very important."

Sam removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him, concern reflected in her eyes.

Daniel looked nervously down at his hands before continuing. He wasn't sure quite how to start, but he knew it was something that Sam really had to know about. He realized that he should have told her earlier and he was ashamed that he hadn't done so. One way or another, he had to let her know now.

"I have to go to Egypt for two and a half weeks," he blurted out.

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion.

"One of my new students is studying a burial chamber near Giza. It's a section that was only recently discovered and hasn't been excavated very much," he continued.

Sam was slightly intrigued by this and, for a moment, her eyes shone brightly. Her face fell though when she realized what Daniel was saying. He had just proposed to her and now they were going to be apart – for the longest amount of time that they'd ever been apart.

"From what little research has been done on this section, it seems that there is something there that may challenge what we've always known about burial rituals that took place near the end of the Old Kingdom," he started enthusiastically, as if he couldn't wait to begin his work.

His tone changed when he caught Sam's melancholy expression. "I'm sorry, Sam. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he said, his voice thick with regret as he held her.

"When are you going?" Sam asked quietly after a brief moment of silence.

He let go of her and looked into her eyes. "I'm leaving on Monday and I'll be gone until the 20th," he replied softly.

Sam looked at him sadly and then averted her eyes. "Monday … so we have just over six days together," she said emotionlessly.

Daniel nodded.

Sam returned her gaze to him. "Let's make the most of them," she pleaded gently.

A soft smile spread across Daniel's face and he nodded once again. "We will," he replied as he pulled her into an embrace.

* * *

Sam and Daniel did all they could to make the most of the days they had left together before his trip to Egypt. They started the very next afternoon, when Sam arrived at Daniel's apartment to discuss the plans for the wedding. They both decided that they would have it done quickly, mostly due to the fact that they didn't want it coinciding with the fall semester, which began on Monday, September 8th.

They decided that Sunday, August 31st, would be their wedding date. It was eleven days after Daniel returned from Egypt. Any planning they needed to do for the next semester would be taken care of beforehand when they weren't dealing with anything related to the wedding. With that settled, they headed down to the county's Clerk and Recorder Office to obtain a marriage license.

They researched wedding chapels in the area in the newspapers and on the internet and found one that suited their needs. It was located in the heart of the downtown area and, from the pictures they saw, afforded a lovely view of Pikes Peak. Furthermore, it would allow them to have up to thirty-five guests. Daniel had asked Sam if she'd be disappointed if they had a small wedding. When she was a child, she'd fantasized about having a huge, formal wedding, with lots of people. The circumstances were much different now, however. She admitted that she didn't want a big bash. She only had family and friends in mind.

Daniel agreed with her. "I don't really have much family," he'd told her. "The only ones I'm aware of – if there is anyone else – are my parents … oh, and my grandfather, Nick."

Sam looked at him thoughtfully.

"He's my mom's father," Daniel clarified. "He was an archaeologist, too."

"Wow, I can see it runs in the family," Sam said cutely.

Daniel shrugged slightly and grinned. "I haven't seen him in quite a long time," he said softly. "To be honest, he wasn't really a warm, open guy. He was away on digs most of the time. He spent a lot of time in Belize studying a crystal skull."

Familiarity shone in Sam's eyes. "Oh, I think I remember reading something about crystal skulls," she muttered.

Daniel nodded and then looked at Sam warily, as if he was reluctant to continue. He did so anyway. "At some point, he was looking at the thing and he was suddenly transported somewhere else – to another dimension or something like that. At least that's what he claimed. He kept saying there were, ah … aliens … there, but everyone pegged him for a fruitcake." A faint blush appeared in his cheeks when he caught Sam looking at him intently.

She nodded thoughtfully and Daniel inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she didn't find any of this weird. "So, I guess he won't be coming to the wedding?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head. "He's been in a mental institution in Oregon the last twenty-five years. I used to visit him, but … well … we aren't really close."

Sam looked away and nodded. She looked down at the rough draft of the guest list they'd made up. On it so far were her father, her brother Mark with his wife and two kids, her uncle Irving, Sara and Jack, Jill and Janet with their husbands, and several of her colleagues from the Earth and Space Sciences department. On Daniel's side were his colleagues from Anthropology, namely Steven and Sarah, as well as a few others with whom Sam wasn't very familiar.

"What about your parents?" she suddenly asked. She almost regretted asking the question. She knew that Daniel didn't want her to get involved, but deep down she still thought it was important that they be there for something like this. "Where do they live?" she added, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"My parents?" Daniel asked, furrowing his brow. "For all I know, they're still living in New York City. Why?"

Sam took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I … I just thought that … we should invite them," she said, avoiding his gaze as she knew what his reaction would be.

"I don't see why they would want to come," he said flippantly, giving a tiny shrug.

Sam opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Daniel disappeared. Minutes later, he reemerged with an old scrapbook. He sat next to Sam and began turning the pages. She noticed that they contained mostly faded color photos of a young couple who greatly resembled the people she'd seen on the museum website several weeks earlier. They appeared to be in exotic places, working on digs. In nearly half of the pictures, a little boy was huddled next to them. Sam grinned as the large eyeglasses and the dark blonde, unruly hair confirmed his identity to her.

Daniel turned the page and a newspaper clipping from the New York Times was revealed. The date was September 12, 1973, and the headline read, "Miracle as Scientists Escape Near-Fatal Accident." Accompanying the article were two pictures – one of Claire and Melburn Jackson, and one of a young Daniel appearing very shaken. Sam looked at the article curiously and then back up at Daniel.

"My parents weren't too happy about it being attributed to a 'miracle' because they're not very religious … as if that was ever important," he said, rolling his eyes.

Sam furrowed her brow. "You're kidding. They found something wrong with the headline?"

Daniel nodded grimly. "They tended to overreact to a lot of trivial things. The headline didn't bother me at all. I was just relieved beyond words that they were okay," he said quietly.

"Daniel, what happened?" Sam asked after a beat. She could have read the article herself, but she'd much rather hear the story from him.

Daniel sighed. "They were setting up an exhibit in the New York Museum of Art. The top portion of a stone column was dangerously swinging above their heads and the chain suddenly snapped. A worker pushed them both out of the way just in time before the cover stone came down. If he appeared two seconds later, it would have crushed them." Daniel's voice became agitated and he shuddered slightly.

Sam looked at him with pity in her eyes and waited for him to recover.

"Whether it was a stroke of luck or the Grace of God – or maybe both – they survived, and it made me realize how precious they were to me. I always had a very good relationship with them. I'd keep telling them how determined I was to follow them into archaeology and they were always pleased. When I became a professor and they found out that I would be teaching, things changed, and … I haven't spoken to them since." His tone was quiet and regretful.

Sam sighed heavily. "Daniel, I'm so sorry. It sounds like you used to get along really well with your parents and I can imagine how you felt after that … accident. Of course, I wasn't so lucky with my Mom, but I learned soon after how precious my father was to me. I'm thankful for our good relationship. I'm so sorry that their unreasonable behavior is keeping you apart." She blushed slightly, worried that she'd overstepped her bounds.

Daniel looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Thanks, Sam. I'd give anything to have them at our wedding, but as long as they refuse to accept what I'm doing and refuse to talk to me, it won't happen."

Sam looked at him intently as he closed the scrapbook, picked it up, and walked away with the intention of putting it back where he'd found it. She looked down at the list in front of her and sighed. She decided to count the list of guests they already had down and came up with twenty.

She picked up the pen and at the very bottom of the list, she wrote out, "Claire and Melburn Jackson" with a big question mark at the end. She then folded the piece of paper up and stuck it in her purse.

* * *

It was Wednesday evening when Sam received a call from her father. She and Daniel had spent part of the day at the Little White Flower wedding chapel, making arrangements. After they departed, Sam had gone into a party supply store to look for simple wedding invitations. She was really beginning to get excited about this and Jacob couldn't have called at a better time. She couldn't wait to break the news to him.

"He what?" Jacob asked very quietly, caught completely off-guard by what she'd just told him.

"Daniel proposed, Dad," she repeated happily.

"You're kidding," he said seriously. "Are you pulling my leg, Sam?"

"No," she insisted. "He came here on Monday night and asked if I'd take a ride with him. We ended up near Pikes Peak with a lovely view of the mountain and the lake and … he proposed."

Sam blushed faintly and grinned as she heard her father's whoops and cries of joy. She loved hearing him be so happy for her.

"Sammie, that's great," he said once he'd calmed down. "I'm so glad you've found such a wonderful young man."

Sam grinned. "Technically, _he_ found _me_, Dad."

Jacob paused, remembering the details of how she and Daniel first met. "Ah, that's right. Well, then, thank God he found you … that doesn't sound right, does it?" he joked. They shared a good laugh.

Sam remembered that Daniel was going away and her euphoria diminished. "Daniel is leaving on Monday for Egypt," she blurted out.

"What for?" Jacob asked curiously.

"One of his new students is studying a burial chamber or something like that. They're doing an excavation. He won't be back until the 20th."

"Oh," Jacob said quietly, picking up on Sam's disappointed tone.

"I really wish you could be here," she said somberly.

Jacob remained silent for a moment. "I might be able to arrange that," he finally answered.

Sam's eyebrows drew together upon hearing his cryptic remark. She then decided that he was just trying to make her feel better, as he usually did whenever she was unhappy about something. She chatted with him a few minutes longer and then ended the call, as she still had to make dinner.

* * *

Sam and Daniel spent the rest of the week they had left together doing things they'd both been meaning to do for quite a while. They went to see "Starship Troopers" again since they didn't get to see very much of it the first time. They remembered Walter Davis' offer and visited the Museum of Space Exploration as well. Sam found the place to be more interesting than she'd remembered. Of course, having a few new exhibits didn't hurt.

Walter was proud to give them a tour of one of these exhibits himself. They'd found him sitting at the front desk and he'd immediately recognized them. He even got them in at a discounted price. Daniel instantly felt bad and wanted to pay full admission, but Walter would have none of it. After Daniel had helped him change the tire at Pikes Peak, it was the least he could do.

"If you'll step this way, I'll give you the grand tour, beginning with the new exhibit that's located in the 'Hall of Chevrons,'" Walter announced in an all-important voice.

Daniel and Sam regarded him blankly, having no clue as to what he was talking about. Walter stepped up to the logo of the "Man on the Moon" Hall and pointed to the two uppercase M's.

"I, uh, I've always liked that word – ever since I took a structural geology class," he grinned. "Don't those M's look like chevrons?"

His guests blinked, still not getting it.

"You probably know what I'm talking about," he said as he looked at Sam. "Chevron folding?"

Sam simply stared at him.

"Or, maybe you don't," he trailed off and coughed awkwardly.

"Sorry, I'm just not that familiar with structural geology," she said apologetically.

Walter shrugged. After he showed them the new exhibit, he gave them a tour of the rest of the museum, which Daniel and Sam enjoyed thoroughly. Near the end, they made small talk and Daniel mentioned to him that he and Sam were now engaged. Walter offered congratulations and best wishes to a proudly beaming Sam and Daniel. As Daniel started telling him about their plans, Sam wondered if she had to add Walter and his fiancée to the guest list now.

* * *

Another one of Sam and Daniel's activities included visiting the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. These were authentic cliff dwellings built more than 700 years earlier by a group of Indians known as the Anasazi – meaning Ancient Ones. Daniel was undoubtedly in his element, as visitors were free to touch everything and even go inside these dwellings. Apparently he had visited them before, but Sam would never have noticed; his awe and enthusiasm were unending.

As they stepped back to gaze upon the archaeological preserve, Sam noticed that Daniel's expression had turned quite thoughtful. Concern was reflected in her eyes as she touched his arm.

Daniel was brought out of his contemplative state and glanced at Sam. "Oh, ah … I was just thinking … my Mom would have loved this place. I can just picture how fascinated she would be with all this," he chuckled sentimentally.

Sam's lips twitched upward in a faint smile. Deep down, she still felt bad that Daniel and his parents had grown apart because of something as petty as his career path. She instantly began thinking of the wedding, but stopped herself and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He turned and smiled at her, deciding once and for all to stop bringing up his parents almost every chance he got.

* * *

It was the day before Daniel left for Egypt when Sam received another pleasant surprise. She and Daniel were sitting in her living room, discussing not only the wedding, but also related things such as living arrangements. They both decided that Daniel would move in with Sam once he got back from his excursion. They had planned on hunting for a bigger place to live eventually, but these plans would suit them well in the interim.

Their conversation was rudely interrupted by an earnestly ringing doorbell. Sam sighed angrily, thinking it was some kid playing a prank. She reluctantly left Daniel's side and made her way to the door. When she pulled it open, her eyes widened.

Standing before her was her father wearing his dress blues and a smile a mile wide. "If it isn't the blushing bride," he said affectionately.

"D-Dad … what are you doing here?" she stammered as her lips formed a slight smile.

"I was out at a meeting at Peterson Air Force Base this weekend. After that wonderful news you gave me the other day, I sure as hell couldn't go back to D.C. without paying you a visit."

Emotion passed over Sam's face as she stared at him and realized how happy he was. Before she could say anything else, he pulled her into a big hug.

"It's wonderful news, Sammie. I can't tell you how proud I am," he said gently, his voice muffled by the top of her head.

Daniel watched them thoughtfully, happy to see Sam's father and happy that he'd given his blessing for their marriage, but also a bit jealous of her close relationship with him. He wished with all his heart that he could picture himself with his parents this way. He knew that was impossible, though.

Jacob finally let go of Sam and fixed his eyes on Daniel. "Ah, and there's the blushing groom-to-be," he said in a light-hearted teasing way.

A kind smile spread across Daniel's face as Jacob made his way up to him and gave him a hearty handshake, followed by a small hug.

"I know you're going to make my little girl happy, Danny," he said as he patted Daniel on the back. "And, that makes me happy. I'm so glad she's met a kind, caring young man like you."

Daniel swallowed to get rid of the small lump that had formed in his throat. "Thank you, Jacob," he said solemnly. "I love your daughter very, very much, and I want nothing more than to make her happy."

Jacob smiled at him and nodded. "I know," he said softly. After a moment of awkward silence, a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. "And, you're going to be leaving her tomorrow. For God's sake, Daniel, how could you do that?" he said teasingly.

Daniel looked at him for a moment before chuckling awkwardly. He had worked up the nerve to tell Sam about the excavation and now he had to explain it to her father – soon to be his father-in-law. Luckily, Jacob did him the courtesy of letting him off easy. He knew that Daniel was fully committed to Sam and not about to run off on her. He just liked to engage in light-hearted teasing – a fact that Sam knew all too well.

Jacob treated them to dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant, where they filled him in on the plans for the wedding. He seemed slightly surprised when they told him it was set for August 31st, just twenty-eight days away. They insisted that they wanted a small wedding and wanted to be married and off on their honeymoon before the bustle of the new semester settled in. Waiting just wasn't an option for them, most likely because they were so deeply in love and wanted to make it official. Jacob grew sentimental when he remembered how he and his late wife also wanted to get married in a hurry. They were married in a Catholic church, however, so they ended up waiting about five months. Waiting that long seemed to kill them both, so he understood the urgency of her daughter and her fiancé.

He began feeling bad when he realized that they had planned a good deal of it already and he always felt that he would pay for his only daughter's wedding. In a surprising gesture, he asked Daniel to give him the bills and receipts for everything they've already paid for, as he would reimburse them for it. Sam and Daniel were quite embarrassed and insisted that he didn't have to do this, but Jacob didn't budge an inch. Stubbornness was a part of his military persona – he never had it in him to give up without a fight. They begrudgingly accepted his offer and, when they returned home, Daniel and Sam presented him with all they had so far.

After chatting for several minutes more, Daniel realized how late it had become. He needed to get home and pack, as he was leaving quite early the next morning. Jacob lovingly looked on as the couple stood, silhouetted in the doorway and mired in a nearly unending kiss.

Sam reluctantly pulled away from Daniel and watched as he slowly traversed her front walk and got into his car. Once he'd driven out of sight, she turned back and blushed as she witnessed her father staring at her with an affectionate smile on his face.

"You're really going to miss him, aren't you?" he asked after a beat.

Sam's eyes met his and he could see the sadness in them. She averted her eyes and nodded.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. Two and a half weeks will fly by and, before you know it, the big day will be upon you."

Sam looked back up at him and her eyes stung with tears when she witnessed the warmth and understanding in her father's eyes.

"I don't think you need me to say it again, but I will anyway: this marriage has my blessing. All I want for you is a lifetime of happiness and I'm more than certain that Daniel can give that to you. I will definitely be there to walk you down the aisle, as proud of you as I could ever be," he told her, his voice heavy with emotion.

Sam could no longer suppress her emotions as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Dad," she said, her voice wavering. "I love you."

Not long after their affectionate exchange, Jacob reluctantly had to leave. He had a late flight that night back to Washington. After he left, Sam sat on her couch, replaying the earlier events in her mind and shedding a few more tears of happiness.

* * *

Sam woke up with a start at five-thirty AM, rudely forced out of bed by loud, persistent knocking. She was intent on giving the intruder both barrels when she remembered that Daniel had an early flight that morning and was coming over for one last goodbye. Still, she didn't think he was leaving _that_ early.

She quickly threw her robe on and made her way into the bathroom in order to tidy her hair up just a bit. Then she hurried to the front door where she found Daniel waiting not so patiently. He was dressed in what appeared to be lightweight desert camouflage and had a large, olive green duffel bag at his feet. Emotion briefly flashed across Sam's face when she reminded herself that he would be going away. She shrugged herself out of it and tried to put on a happy face.

"Hey," she said, giving him a faint smile. "Come in for a few minutes."

Daniel reluctantly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't," he said regretfully. "The flight to Cairo leaves at seven-thirty and I have to meet my students at the gate by six. I would have come here earlier, but I didn't want to wake you too early."

Sam gave him a faint, crooked, what-barely-passed-as-a-smile. It broadened when he gave her a shy smile back.

"I'm really going to miss you," she said seriously.

"I know," he said softly as his eyes pierced hers. "And I'm really going to miss you."

They looked into each other's eyes for a fleeting moment embracing in a fierce hug.

"But, I'll only be gone for two and a half weeks," Daniel said, trying to sound upbeat despite the fact that his voice was filled with emotion. "And I'll be thinking about you the whole time."

Sam sniffled as she pulled apart from him and looked into his eyes. "I hope I'll be able to get along while you're gone," she said, half-jokingly.

Daniel chuckled affectionately. "Maybe this will help?" he asked. Before she could say anything else, he wrapped his arms around her and enveloped her in a long, lingering, tender kiss. She whimpered as she felt his tongue enter her mouth and felt his hands slip underneath her robe and the back of her pajama top. She enjoyed it, but knew it had to come to an end. She began twirling the strands of his hair between her fingers, as if she didn't want to let go of him.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of their embrace and gazed deeply into her eyes.

"I think that might help," she said with a crooked grin.

Daniel blushed a bit and then smiled tenderly at her. He looked into her eyes once more and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before he let her go and made his way back to his car.

After exchanging a final wave with him, Sam shut the door and slowly made her way back to her bedroom where she lazily got dressed. As she munched on her breakfast, she felt a lump form in her throat as she thought about Daniel. She hoped she wouldn't let his absence bring her down too much. They'd never been apart for more than a week and even then they at least kept in contact by phone. She doubted such a thing would be possible this time with Daniel in the Egyptian desert.

She sighed as she entered her home office and turned the computer on. She removed some papers from one of her desk drawers and studied them curiously. Her father was right – two and a half weeks would fly by and she'd be with Daniel again. As she read what was on the printed papers, she realized she would have to get along without him. Right now, she had work to do.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Daniel did one more sweep over the hieroglyphs in the burial chamber with his small hand-held video camera and then set it down to write something in his field notebook. It had been a long day. Actually, it had been a long week. He and his students first had to meet with government officials in Cairo to be granted access to the excavation site. Normally, the meeting would have gone smoothly as it always had when Daniel was doing excavations for his own research. However, the officials had had pressing engagements and hadn't been able to meet with them until the next day. They'd settled into the hotel, visited a few bazaars and a museum, had dinner, and went to bed, hoping they could finally get started the next day.

They were delayed even further when some paperwork had gotten mixed up and they ended up not even being on the list to meet with these officials. Daniel was quite frustrated but managed to keep his cool, as he usually did in situations like this. He only hoped they'd have enough time in the burial chamber after this was all settled.

Luckily everything was straightened out, allowing them access to the site almost two full days after they'd arrived in Cairo. Soon, Daniel and the students were trekking across the desert in a Land Rover, free at last to perform their excavation.

They'd been studying the burial chamber for close to a week now. Daniel was amused by the fact that Jennifer, an undergraduate field assistant, was not expecting the chamber to be this vast. She had reacted incredulously when he'd told her they would be spending two and a half weeks studying it. She didn't think it could possibly take this long – only a few days at most. Once they reached the site though, she was amazed at the chamber's size and how many corridors were contained within. It was clear that they would need quite a bit of time to study this place.

Daniel and Kevin, his new graduate student, spent most of the time studying the writings and hieroglyphs they found on the walls as well as on artifacts like vases and Canopic jars. Jennifer meanwhile roamed through the corridor they occupied, which seemed to go on for almost a mile. Daniel asked that she stay in close proximity to them. Even though they kept in contact with two-way radios, the place was huge and mostly undiscovered, thus making it possible for one to get lost.

Daniel had been a bit impressed by what they first found. Some of the hieroglyphs, as well as pictographs etched on the Canopic jars, did present some evidence that could very well challenge the status quo about burial rituals in this period. Kevin was both impressed and thankful for finding something that would bolster his thesis. After a few days, Daniel's excitement waned. The other writings weren't anything he really hadn't seen before. They just confirmed, in part, something that he found in one of the Great Pyramids when he was doing his doctorate research. Things had now become a bit tedious and old hat for him and it caused his mind to start wandering.

After he'd written the last of his notes, he began staring at his ballpoint pen and thoughts of Sam drifted into his head. Not that they hadn't before. The previous night, he lay in their tent trying to sleep, not finding it easy. Kevin lying next to him had his walkman up a bit too high and Daniel could hear the music through his headphones. He shut his eyes and tried to think of something nice and peaceful in order to lull him to sleep. His subconscious pieced together an image of Sam, looking at him and smiling serenely. She was speaking and, although he couldn't hear her, her lips formed the words "I love you." A smile covered Daniel's face as he finally drifted off to sleep.

Daniel was now mired in deep thoughts about Sam, hoping she was doing okay this whole time. He reflected on how much he missed her, even though he'd only been gone a week. He couldn't wait to get back home to be with her and he looked forward to the big day when they'd be able to profess their love for each other in full.

"Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel continued to stare at his pen, unaware that someone was trying to get his attention until the insistent party tried again and jerked him out of his reverie.

"Huh?" he said quietly as he barely noticed Kevin standing over him.

"Dr. Jackson, there's something I think you should see," Kevin said, trying earnestly to get his attention.

Daniel, fully recovered, sighed and fixed the top of the bandana tied on his head to keep his hair back from his face. "_Daniel_, Kevin," he corrected the younger man with a crooked grin.

Kevin blushed faintly. "Sorry … Daniel. Jennifer thinks she's found something at the far end of this corridor. I think you need to take a look at it."

Daniel wiped the sweat from his brow, pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, and quickly rose to his feet. "More hieroglyphs?" he asked curiously.

"Uh … I don't know," Kevin replied. "At the far end, part of a wall was knocked away and she was able to get into a … hidden room."

Daniel's brow wrinkled and his mouth dropped open. "Show me," he said quietly, clearly intrigued.

Kevin nodded and gestured for Daniel to follow. They made their way down the corridor and, as it took a turn to the right, they could see a small, dark hole all the way at the dead end. As they neared it, Daniel's curiosity seemed to increase tenfold. After being nearly bored and almost disappointed with most of what they found, things were certainly changing.

The hole was about two feet off the ground and just big enough that they had to duck their heads while climbing through. Daniel shone his flashlight through the hole before making his way inside. He couldn't see very much apart from the scattered pieces of artifacts, most of which appeared smashed. He also couldn't see any sign of Jennifer.

"Dr. Jackson, is that you?" a female voice called out tentatively, recognizing the second beam of light.

Daniel wasn't about to correct her, at least not this time. "Yes, it's me and Kevin," Daniel called back to her. "Where are you, Jennifer?"

"I'm in the back of this room," she called back faintly.

Daniel turned to Kevin and then climbed inside the room, followed closely by the other man. Once they were inside, Daniel shone his flashlight on the pieces of artifacts, making a mental note to check them out later. He and Kevin caught the beam of light coming from Jennifer's flashlight and made their way to the back of the room.

Jennifer was on her knees, running her hands over the wall and what appeared to be more hieroglyphs. She turned when she heard Daniel and Kevin approaching. "They're hieroglyphs, but nothing I've seen before. I can't make heads or tails out of them," she began, frustrated.

Daniel shone his light over them and once he was able to read them clearly, his mouth dropped open.

"What is it, Daniel?" Kevin asked curiously.

Daniel failed to answer. His brow furrowed in concentration as he muttered to himself and ran his fingers across the writings and pictures. Once he came to the end of a particular set his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, my God," he started seriously.

Both students looked at him expectantly. "What?" Jennifer asked.

"Sam has _got_ to see this," he said quietly.

* * *

Sam sighed as she exited the grocery store and headed for her car. It had been about a week and a half since Daniel had left for Egypt. In that time, she'd managed to get quite a few things done. She mailed off the wedding invitation. She visited Sara in the flower shop and told her what they wanted in the chapel. Fortunately for Sara and her employees, the resulting arrangements wouldn't be that large. Sam went with a pretty display of pink and red roses, along with some baby's breath and some dainty pink and purple flowers of which name Sam couldn't remember. She picked out her wedding dress as well and only had to have it fitted once.

She tried as much as she could to keep busy so she wouldn't be dwelling too much on Daniel's absence. Sometimes it could be hard, though. Granted, they'd only known each other just over four months, but they'd never been separated for this long. This morning she'd been woken up by Brian McKnight's "Anytime" from her clock radio. The song was the lamentation of a man whose friend/lover had left him. Lyrics about looking at a picture in a frame, hearing footsteps down the hall, and missing a special someone were not the things Sam needed to hear at this point. She felt a lump in her throat as thoughts of Daniel and how much she missed him surfaced. She immediately shut the radio off but instead of crying and dwelling on it, she rushed to get dressed, have breakfast and get something done today. She missed him with all her heart, but she still had work to do.

After she returned home, she made her way into her office to check her email. A small card in an envelope drew her attention away from the computer and she opened it curiously. It was the last invitation she had made out. It had not been mailed with the others. She quickly turned the envelope over and was reminded of the problem she had to solve when she saw the names printed neatly on the front, "Drs. Claire and Melburn Jackson."

Sam felt her heartbeat speed up. After Daniel left, she'd done some more research on his parents. From the American Museum of Natural History website she found a phone number with which to contact them. She tried the number to make sure it worked and her suspicion was confirmed when a man's voice speaking plainly informed her that no one was there to take a call. Sam felt a tiny spark of anger flare up in her when she remembered what Daniel had told her several months back. He'd tried to speak to his mother, only to get the answering machine. He had a suspicion that his father was erasing his messages. She sighed and, before she could leave a message, hung up the phone.

She went through the rest of the papers she'd procured from the internet. She not only had their phone number, but she had also obtained their address which she looked up on an online Yellow Pages website. The phone number that was listed matched, confirming their address to her. They lived on the Upper West side of Manhattan on 83rd Street. She decided it made sense, as the museum was located on 81st Street.

She knew what she had to do and why she had to do it. She turned her computer on and went to one of the travel websites, looking for flights to New York and hotels in the area. After a bit of searching, she was able to book a flight leaving in two days for New York, as well as reserve a hotel room several blocks over. A part of her felt guilty for going behind Daniel's back, especially when he made it clear that he didn't want her bothering to get involved over something like this. He knew that trying to get his parents to attend would be all for naught when they were no longer speaking to him and he didn't want to put Sam through that.

Why should she feel guilty? She knew that he missed them, especially his mother. She could tell he was envious of her close relationship with her father. Daniel had a distinct sadness to him whenever he mentioned his parents and she hated to see him like that. She wanted to do as much as she could to help mend the rift between them. Convincing them to attend his wedding was a good start. She only hoped she would achieve some success.

* * *

Sam settled into her hotel room and kicked off her shoes. The flight from Colorado to La Guardia airport in New York had gone well; even the lunch that was served was fairly decent. She'd taken a cab from the airport across the bridge into Manhattan and then uptown to the hotel.

She curiously leafed through a guide to New York City. She had two days here and wondered what else she could do to pass the time. She didn't think – at least she didn't hope – that talking to Daniel's parents would take up all that time. She unfolded her map of the city, looking for other points of interest. She had visited New York when she was a little girl and didn't remember all that much about it. The one thing she did remember was that she enjoyed the Museum of Natural History. Despite the fact that Daniel's parents worked there, she thought she would pay it a visit.

After an early lunch on her flight, she decided to have an early dinner at the small bar-and-grill type of restaurant that was located next to the hotel. As she partook of her barbeque chicken sandwich, she began thinking of what she could say to Daniel's parents, and how she should say it. She didn't want to come off too strong and assuming. At first she worried that she would be sticking her nose where it didn't belong. She then shook her head and scoffed quietly at her foolishness. She was going to be his _wife_, for God's sake. She cared for him more than anything and hated to see him despondent. As she finished her meal, she went over the possibilities until she confidently settled on something.

After paying the bill, she replaced her wallet and noticed the invitation still in her purse. She looked down at her watch and realized it was close to 6 PM. She wondered what Daniel's parents would be doing now. Did they work at the museum full-time? Were they on a dinner break? Sam was not comfortable with the idea of barging in on them while they were eating, so she decided to wait at least an hour and take the opportunity to freshen up in her hotel room.

As seven-thirty rolled around, she decided she'd take her chances and began the trek over to 81st Street. The city of New York was not quite what she remembered and making her way across the busy streets took some getting used to. As she made it to 83rd, she removed the folded paper from her purse that contained their address. She looked fleetingly up at each of the places she passed, hoping to catch sight of numbers next to the doors.

Her gait slowed and she breathed a sigh of relief when she approached 252 83rd Street, the brownstone that supposedly belonged to his parents. Stick-on black and gold letters spelling out "Jackson" adorned the small black mail box next to the door, confirming her suspicion. Sam slowly ascended the steps up to the door and regarded it tentatively. She barely had time to hope that she wasn't intruding when a little voice inside her reminded her of how much she loved Daniel, and how she wanted him to be happy more than anything. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and rang the doorbell.

For several minutes there was no response. Sam's heart sank and she thought that they must have still been at the museum or eating dinner. She would have to return the next day. She was about to turn around and head down the stairs when she heard a rustling sound coming from within the house. Her brow wrinkled faintly.

The door slowly opened and from behind it appeared a bespectacled woman she recognized immediately. She was slightly shorter than Sam and quite slender. Her light brown, shoulder length hair was pulled back in a ponytail and was barely sprinkled with gray. The almost complete absence of wrinkles was remarkable for her age and made Sam wonder if she was the one from whom Daniel had gotten his youthful looks. It was clearly evident that he'd gotten his bright blue eyes from her.

The woman looked at Sam curiously. "Yes, may I help you?" she asked timidly.

Before Sam could answer, a man appeared at her side. He was a bit taller, although not quite as tall as Daniel. In contrast to Daniel's mother, he had hazel eyes. His hair was dark brown and in a style – for all intents and purposes – identical to Daniel's. He also wore glasses that were very similar to Daniel's, except that the frames were a bit thicker and darker. He was also quite youthful looking for his age, save for the bit of gray hair at his temples and a few faint lines of age on his face.

"Claire?" he questioned before looking bewildered at Sam. She was now completely convinced that these were Daniel's parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jackson?" Sam asked timidly before correcting herself. "Uh … I mean … Drs. Jackson?"

"Yes, is there something we can do for you?" Melburn said quietly.

"My name is Dr. Samantha Carter. I … I need to talk to you about your son," Sam finally blurted out.

At this, the older couple visibly paled. "Danny?" Claire asked, almost incredulously.

"You know Daniel?" Mel asked Sam urgently.

"Well … yes. Actually, it's more than that," Sam said, feeling slightly awkward.

"Is he all right?" Claire chimed in worriedly.

Sam nodded. "Yes. But, I have to talk to you. Can I come in, or am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no," Claire insisted quietly. "We're through working for the museum today and we just finished dinner. Please, come in."

Sam nodded gratefully. "Thank you," she muttered as Claire pulled the door back further to allow Sam entrance.

She followed Claire and Mel through the small foyer and into their living room off to the left. The shades had been drawn and, if not for the ornate lamps on the end tables and the chandelier hanging over the dining room table, the room would be in complete darkness. Sam looked appreciatively at the Jacksons' décor. It was quite like Daniel's, except that their collection of artifacts was a bit more esoteric than his. At Claire's urging, she made herself at home on a loveseat whose arms were intricately carved, while Claire and Mel sat on the couch across from her.

Sam sighed and positioned herself on the edge of the seat, still trying to decide how to begin. For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence between them.

"How do you know Daniel?" Mel finally asked.

Sam took another deep breath. "I'm his fiancée," she said after a beat. At that instant, her cheeks flushed.

They didn't know what had hit them. Sam watched as their eyes quickly widened and then narrowed, framed by wrinkled brows that completed their incredulous expressions. "What?" Mel finally said quietly.

Sam averted her eyes and nodded before she stretched her arm out in front of her, showing off her engagement ring. The Jacksons took notice of the ring, but still appeared as if they weren't ready to believe Sam. A realization came to her and she fumbled through her purse until she came upon a photo. It was a casual picture of her and Daniel that had been taken at Sara's party several months ago. She handed it to them and waited for their reaction. Emotion seemed to pass over Claire's face as studied the photo. She hadn't seen her son in many years, but she had no trouble recognizing him.

"W-when? H-how? Forgive my bluntness, but there are so many questions here that need to be answered," Mel said.

_Questions that wouldn't even arise if you hadn't cut off contact with him_, Sam thought bitterly. "I know this is all rather sudden. I'll start at the beginning," she said. "I'm an astrophysics professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs."

The Jacksons listened intently as Sam related the story to them of how she and Daniel met. Although Claire found it endearing, Mel couldn't help commenting wryly, "Figures. He's always been clumsy."

"Like you and me," Claire reminded him in a challenging tone.

Sam's eyes moved from Claire back to Mel, a bit surprised at the older woman's boldness. Mel seemed a bit surprised by it himself and he was effectively put in his place, shrugging his shoulders and muttering awkwardly, "Well … yes."

They took a few more moments to digest all this information before Claire spoke again. "I didn't know Daniel was in Colorado Springs," she said, still seeming surprised and even a bit sad.

"You didn't know?" Sam said incredulously, feigning ignorance in part.

Claire shook her head. "No. We haven't spoken to him in … years," she finished ashamedly.

"Why not?" Sam asked, her voice rising dangerously. Her cheeks flamed and she coughed awkwardly.

Mel looked down at his hands, apparently not sure how to start. "Danny was always a good boy," he finally began lamely. "When Claire and I were busy with our digs, he was always enthusiastic about helping us. He was such a bright child and we always encouraged him. We were pleased and even flattered that he wanted to follow in our footsteps." A wistful chuckle escaped his throat before his mood changed and his expression became harsh. "But, then he chose to teach … throw it all away and _teach_." He spat the last word out scornfully.

At this, Sam bristled. "And what do you find so bad about teaching?" she nearly demanded.

Mel gave her an inquisitive look before he realized he'd offended his son's fiancée. He sighed and averted his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," he said apologetically. "But, you teach astrophysics. Archaeology is a bit different. I … we … always hoped that Daniel would make something of himself."

Sam's eyebrows drew together. "What makes you think that he hasn't?"

"Has he put forth any major, groundbreaking theories or made any important discoveries?" Mel asked.

Sam was nearly caught off-guard by the question. In defending Daniel, she wanted to fib and reply in the affirmative. She relented, just in case he would be reunited with them and they'd decide to call him on it. "Uh … well, he _did_ present a talk in my department about …"

"There you are," Mel cut her off. Sam's tone was devoid of confidence and told him what he wanted to hear.

Sam fixed him with a look of contempt. "And that's why you've cut off contact with him?" she said.

Mel didn't say a word, but she knew what his answer was.

"How could you be so small-minded to sever ties with him over something like this? He's your son!" Sam continued, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Mel held his ground. "He chose to be stuck in a classroom, teaching some flunky 'intro to archaeology' course, instead of actively taking part in field work."

"Well, then you don't know him very well," Sam replied quietly, her expression hardened. "As we speak, he's performing an excavation in Egypt with several students. For almost two weeks, he's been there studying a burial chamber."

Both Jacksons straightened up and regarded her seriously.

Sam nodded slowly. "He'll be back on the twentieth – eleven days before our wedding."

Mel had stuck his foot in his mouth and his expression revealed that he was now completely aware of it. "He's taking part in an excavation," he said slowly. For a split second, something vaguely resembling a smile flitted across his face before his expression turned repentant. "And it's something important?"

"I can't see how it wouldn't be," Sam replied, still not letting them get off easy. "And, I can't see why it would make much difference. He's doing something that he enjoys and you should be proud of him for that."

Claire and Mel appeared chastened by this and Claire nodded shyly.

"It's time to put an end to all this silliness. The reason I came out here was to let you know about the wedding. I guess I could have called you, but given the circumstances I thought it would be best to talk to you in person. I'm sure you agree."

Mel nodded. "This is still quite sudden," he said quietly. "And you say the wedding is on the … thirty-first?"

Sam looked him in the eyes and nodded. She rummaged through her purse once again and handed the invitation to them.

Claire's expression turned emotional as she read it over. "I don't know if Daniel would want us there," she said ruefully.

"How can you say that?" Sam asked, taken aback. "I happen to know that he misses you a lot. He told me back when we first met that he hadn't talked to you in ages. He told me that he was envious of the close relationship I have with my father. I see how it's affecting him. He didn't even want me getting involved. But, I had to try because I really love him and I only want to see him happy."

Both Jacksons looked at her intently. "I can see that," Mel said solemnly.

Sam nodded and looked at them nervously, unsure of what to say next. She looked down at her watch and realized it was getting late. She didn't want to trouble the Jacksons any longer so she made to get up off the loveseat. "I should get going," she muttered.

Claire and Mel rose and crossed the room as Sam headed toward the foyer. Just as she was about to head out the door, Claire spoke up, "I really don't know what to say."

Sam looked at her and she could see a mixture of embarrassment and sadness in the older woman's eyes. "Look, I'm not forcing you to do anything," she said softly, referring to the invitation in Claire's hand. "It's totally up to you whether or not you want to attend. But, if you love Daniel, you'll do him that courtesy."

With that, she headed down the front steps and back down the street the way she came. Daniel's parents looked down at the invitation and shared a look, as though they had some serious thinking and reevaluation ahead of them.

* * *

The next day, Sam decided to check out the Museum of Natural History. She hadn't been there since she was very young, but it instantly brought back memories for her. She remembered the Hall of Dinosaurs, though it had now moved up onto the fourth floor. She spent a while in the fairly new Hall of Minerals and she couldn't resist taking in a show at the Hayden Planetarium.

As she roamed the halls, she thought back to the events of the previous day. She had been nearly mortified by the mindset of Daniel's parents, his father in particular. She thought they would have been better than that. She tried to convince them to mend the rift they'd created and at least consider attending the wedding. She wasn't sure if she'd convinced them of anything, though. In the least, she hoped that they'd gained some more respect for him.

Familiarity shone in her eyes when she came upon an exhibit titled "Petra: The Lost City of Stone." She remembered reading about it on the website and thought she'd check it out. It barely occurred to her that Daniel's parents were the curators; she was just interested in what the exhibit presented. As she explored it, she thought about Daniel once again and wished he could be here with her.

"Dr. Carter?" a familiar female voice asked.

Sam jerked her head around and she let out a small gasp when she found Claire Jackson standing behind her.

"Oh! Mrs. Jackson … I mean, Dr. Jackson. Hello. I was just …" Sam trailed off awkwardly and gestured to one of the dioramas related to the exhibit.

Claire nodded. "Do you have any questions about anything?"

"Oh, uh … no – I mean, not really. It's all so fascinating."

Claire's face lit up in a smile, almost identical to the way her son's did. It made Sam feel warm inside.

"Today is my last day in New York, so I figured I'd come over here. I haven't been to the museum since I was a little girl," Sam continued.

"I see," Claire remarked. "Well, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

Sam nodded. "Thanks," she smiled. She took a few steps away from the older woman to study a few artifacts in a case.

"Dr. Carter?" Claire called out after a few minutes. Sam looked back and saw Claire's eyes pleading for her to come back.

Sam made her way curiously back to the area where Claire was standing.

"I'm sorry," the older woman began with an awkward smile. "I wanted to thank you for the wedding invitation. You're a sweet girl and I'm touched that you came all this way to speak to us about Daniel. We're both touched – Mel and I. Nothing would make me happier than to see my Danny again, but I'm not sure how he'd react to seeing us. I just … don't think he'll accept us being there." Claire's voice became thick with emotion and she looked away.

Sam took instant pity on the female Dr. Jackson. It appeared that Daniel's father had been largely to blame for their refusal to talk to Daniel. Daniel himself had told Sam that his mother wasn't too happy about him teaching, but she had accepted it. His father had been a different story.

"Please don't think that way," Sam told her simply. "Daniel does love you. He's told me more than once how much he misses you. He even told me that he'd give anything to see you at his wedding, but he didn't think it was possible under the circumstances. I came to see you yesterday with the hope that I might try to change that. But, this is a decision that both you and your husband have to make and I can't force you to do anything. I can only hope that you'll at least consider it, Dr. Jackson."

Clarity and understanding filled Claire's eyes as she listened intently and nodded. Her once clouded-with-emotion eyes began to twinkle as a smile slowly formed on her face. "Please, call me Claire."

Sam regarded her tentatively.

"It's only right since you're going to be my daughter-in-law," Claire continued affectionately.

Sam's face lit up in a huge smile. "Then you'll have to call me Sam," she returned.

"Okay, Sam," Claire said, clearing her throat as her voice caught. "I'm glad my son is marrying someone as sweet as you. He deserves to be happy."

Sam pondered her words as she parted company with the older woman.


	27. Chapter 27 Return Only to Leave Again

Chapter 27

Sam sat on her couch and began sifting through the magazines she'd received while she was in New York. It had been about four days since she'd returned home, but she'd been so busy with the wedding plans that she hadn't had much time to get caught up on her reading. She was feeling a bit stressed out and it was great to sit back and relax. Her new issue of National Geographic featured an article related to Petra, the ancient city that was detailed in the exhibit at the museum where the Jacksons were curators. As she thumbed through the article, her mind began drifting and she thought back to her meeting with them. She hoped that she had convinced them to at least consider attending the wedding.

She felt a bit more optimistic after seeing Daniel's mother at the museum the next day. After she'd spoken with her at the exhibit, Sam had run into her in the museum cafeteria where she decided to have a bite to eat for lunch. Claire reiterated that she didn't know Daniel had made his home in Colorado and she admitted that she'd been a little depressed on and off over the years. She had never heard from Daniel and assumed that he just never tried to call or write.

Sam was a bit reluctant to inform her that Daniel had tried to call, but in the end she decided it was important that his mother know. She revealed to Claire what Daniel had told Sam fairly recently. He had made several efforts to call and would end up leaving messages on their answering machine. This revelation left Claire nonplussed, as she couldn't recall receiving any messages from him at all over the years. Sam hesitated before telling her that Daniel had suspicion that his father was erasing the messages.

Hearing this made Claire understandably upset and even angry with her husband. The fact that he would do such a thing initially gave her pause. In the end, however, she resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't put it past him, especially for the way he thought of Daniel and his career decision. Sam could see heavy emotion in the older woman's eyes and she really felt for her. It seemed that Daniel's relationship with his mother was just a bit stronger than the one with his father. It certainly wasn't fair that they'd been cut off from each other for so many years due to his father's absurd attitude.

With determined resolve, Claire told Sam that she would have a talk with Mel – not only about the wedding, but also about his actions over the years that caused them to become estranged from their son. She thanked her daughter-in-law-to-be with a grateful hug. Sam went back to her lunch and smiled to herself, hoping that something good would come out of this.

She was thrown violently out of her daydreams by a loud, urgent knock on the door. She placed the open magazine down on her coffee table and rose from the couch. A bright smile spread across her face as she made her way to the front door. It was the twentieth of August and that could only mean one thing.

Daniel was back.

She pulled the door open and happiness filled her heart when she witnessed Daniel standing in front of her. On this relatively cool August evening, he was wearing a dark and light blue plaid shirt and a pair of khakis. A large duffel bag lay at his feet, which made her think that he'd come straight here from the airport. Little did she know that he'd actually gone home first to shower and freshen up, in order to look halfway presentable before seeing her. His complexion lacked the rugged tan she nearly expected from being in the Egyptian desert. He looked exactly the same as he had before he'd left, except that his long, floppy mop was a bit longer and floppier. His clear blue eyes seemed bright and enthusiastic, as did the smile on his face.

She didn't expect his first words to be, "Sam, I have incredible news. You really need to hear this." She could hear excitement edging into his voice.

She merely smiled at him. "Daniel …"

"I've made an amazing discovery," Daniel continued, seemingly ignoring the affectionate look she was giving him. "It's just so … incredible. You really need to see it. I think it's something that will really interest you."

"Daniel …"

"I think it will really blow your mind. All the research I've done in this area over the years – research for my doctorate and whatnot, has never yielded anything of this magnitude. It's the most amazing thing," he rambled on.

"Daniel!" she exclaimed impatiently. She found his enthusiasm endearing but why hadn't he kissed her yet?

Daniel finally trailed off and looked at her inquisitively. He noticed the broad smile on her face and barely had time to smile back before she grabbed him and kissed him tenderly. As their tongues intertwined, her fingers played with the soft strands of his hair before her hands found their way to the front of his body and under his shirt. As she caressed his chest, his hands explored her shoulders and back.

At long last, their lips parted and they looked expressively into each other's eyes. Color tinted Daniel's cheeks before his lips formed a wide grin. "Thanks for reminding me just how much I missed you," he said. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, which caused her to giggle softly before she stepped back to allow him entrance.

Daniel set his duffel bag down as he sat on the couch next to Sam. He took hold of her hand and caressed it. "I really did miss you, Sam," he told her.

"I hope I don't have to tell you how much I missed you," she replied. "And, from the way I just found you, I guess I don't have to ask how it went over there."

Daniel chuckled and gave her an affectionate smile.

"So, what's this amazing discovery you're so excited about?" she asked, grinning.

He was on the verge of telling her when he looked nervously down at his bag. "Pack your bags. We're going to Cairo," he blurted out.

Sam's eyebrows drew together. "What?" she asked with an incredulous chuckle.

"You have to see this in person, Sam. I booked a flight to Cairo and a hotel room for us. We're leaving tomorrow," he elaborated excitedly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa – back up. You just got back from there. _We're_ going?" Sam asked, still wondering if this was all a joke.

Daniel nodded and felt a bit of dread well up inside him. He was so excited about his find that he didn't give much thought to how Sam would react.

"You're completely serious?" she asked quietly.

His eyes met hers and he nodded quietly.

Exasperation and disbelief colored Sam's eyes as she hastily rose from the couch. "It would have been nice if you'd _asked_ me first before doing all this," she said, raising her voice a notch. She didn't realize at the moment how hypocritical she sounded, having seen Daniel's parents without telling him. "You're expecting me to drop everything and just fly over with you to Cairo?"

Sam's words struck Daniel like a blow to the head. Granted, she had a reason to be angry, but he still didn't think she'd react quite like this. "Drop everything? Drop what?" Daniel asked absently.

Sam shook her head and scoffed incredulously. "For your information, I've been going crazy trying to get everything taken care of for this wedding!" she said with a vehemence that surprised even herself. "I mean, for two and a half weeks you left me here to do all of this myself. And now you're expecting me to drop it all and fly off with you to the hot Egyptian desert?" She quickly shut her eyes as she realized she might have said the wrong thing.

Daniel visibly bristled at this and rose from the couch. "Are you implying that I deliberately left you to take care of this all yourself?" he asked in disbelief. "In case you're not aware, Sam, my job requires me to do this every now and then. That I would do this on purpose to inconvenience you is completely ludicrous." The edge of sarcasm in his tone made him wince inwardly.

Sam's cheeks grew hot as he spoke. She knew how ridiculous she sounded, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook for the suggestion of a whirlwind trip to Egypt. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding to him. "That doesn't excuse the fact that you just suddenly made plans for us to go to Egypt without even asking me. You just thought I would agree to this?"

Daniel took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "Yes, I did," he said lamely. "Sam, I have to show you this and the only way for you to see it is up close."

Sam looked at him and uttered a sound of disbelief. "I don't believe this. The wedding is in eleven days!"

"So?" Daniel interrupted. "That's plenty of time! Do you honestly think we're going to be in Egypt for two weeks?"

"I don't know! I've never gone on an … expedition … before!" She said, waving her hands around awkwardly.

"Well, consider this a golden opportunity, then," Daniel said hotly.

"I …" Sam started. She abruptly stopped when she noticed Daniel's eyes aglow with anger. She immediately looked away, embarrassed. They had argued before but never this badly. He was sounding quite mean, not like himself at all, and it made her feel awful. She wasn't exactly in the clear either. She realized that they'd both had a long two and a half weeks and were tired and stressed out.

She looked back up at him and found that his expression had turned from anger into hurt. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Oh, God. We're not even married and we're already fighting," she said ruefully. "It's all my fault – I literally picked a fight with you. I'm so sorry, Daniel." Her tone became uneven and she blinked away tears.

Daniel edged up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay, Sam. It's my fault, too. I should have never made plans like this without consulting you first. You were already going crazy planning the wedding and this was the last thing you needed to hear. I was just so excited about this find and I thought it would really interest you. I guess I can be overzealous in my enthusiasm."

A small chuckle briefly escaped her lips. "I'm sorry that I reacted the way I did. I shouldn't have been so angry. Some of the things I said were completely ridiculous and I wouldn't have said them if I was in my right mind. I was pretty stressed out with all the planning I've done for the wedding and the fact that I missed you dearly didn't help. I guess that's why I'm a bit out of sorts."

"I know," Daniel said softly. "And I'm sorry. I wish I could have been here for you." He hugged her and kissed her softly on the top of her head.

"Okay now?" he asked once they stepped back.

Sam nodded and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Yeah."

"I should have thought about you, Sam. If you want, I'll cancel these plans. We can go out there after the wedding and the honeymoon," he said in a conciliatory tone.

Sam picked up on the slightest bit of disappointment in his voice. She remembered how excited he seemed when he first came in. She wasn't quite happy with his making plans behind her back, but she had done nearly the same to him in the form of her trip to New York. Admittedly, she was quite curious about what he'd found and she wondered why he didn't come right out and tell her.

"How long would we be there?" she finally asked, resigned.

Daniel seemed slightly surprised that she seemed willing to consider it. "Three days is all we'd need," he replied. "We'd be gone tomorrow, the twenty-first, and we'd arrive back home on the twenty-fourth. We'd have a whole week until the wedding. How much is there left to do?"

"Not very much," Sam admitted. "The plans are set for the chapel and Sara is taking care of the floral arrangements. The invitations were all mailed out and we've gotten 15 RSVPs so far. I picked out my wedding gown and it's been fitted. All that's left to do is pick out the cake."

Daniel smiled. "It sounds like everything is going according to plan, then. I picked out my tux before I left in case you're wondering about that. The ring is taken care of, too. I think all I need to do is get the honeymoon all settled, which I can do when we get back."

Sam gave him a quick little smile. "Now, are you going to tell me about this thing you found?"

Daniel's cheeks immediately became rosy and he briefly glanced at his hands. "Ah … yeah. About that …"

Sam regarded him curiously.

"I have a confession to make," he began tentatively.

"About what?"

"Do you remember when I told you about that student's theory; the one about the pyramids in Egypt being millennia older than they actually were and possibly being used as landing pads for aliens?"

"Uh … yeah," Sam began.

"I sort of stretched the truth there … or, more appropriately, made it into a figure eight," he said awkwardly, his blush growing by the minute.

"Daniel, what are you talking about?"

"That theory … was mine," he finally got out. He put his head down, causing his hair to flop over his face.

Sam stared at him, slightly surprised before she remembered what he'd said about anything being possible when they discussed the possibility of alien life. "So?"

Daniel's head shot back up and he pushed his hair back from his face. His expression revealed that he was not expecting her reaction. "You don't think I'm crazy?" he asked with a touch of disbelief in his voice.

Sam looked at him for a moment and then began laughing. "Of course not, Daniel. I don't think that's crazy at all. I've heard similar theories being pushed around before. My brother had an old book that discussed them. That was back in the mid seventies. I know some people find it all a little 'out there', but I'm not one of them. I think it's pretty interesting and something to think about."

Daniel regarded her in disbelief for several seconds before a content smile formed on his face. He was glad that she didn't find his theories outlandish or unorthodox and even happier that she actually found them interesting.

"Why didn't you tell me it was yours back then?" she asked him quietly.

Daniel hadn't given much thought to how he'd explain himself in this regard. The blush crept back into his cheeks and he clutched at his hair nervously. "I don't know if you'll understand. I don't know if _I_ quite understand. I guess I presented it to you that way to sort of … feel you out. I wanted to see what you thought about it. I just liked you so much that I was afraid you'd be turned off and not want to be bothered with me."

Sam felt a slight pang of sadness upon hearing this. She also felt a bit ashamed when she remembered that she had basically joined him in ridiculing the theory. It was time for her to come clean, too. "I guess you remember that I ridiculed it along with you. In a way, I was saving face, too. I really didn't find it ridiculous but, since I thought _you_ did, I was afraid you'd think I was a nut job if I ever said so."

Her comment prompted Daniel to chuckle affectionately. "I guess we are perfect for each other, then," he said.

Sam laughed softly and beamed as he gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Now, will you tell me why the moldy old tombs of Egypt demand my immediate presence?" she teased.

Daniel blushed and nodded as he removed a small photo album from his duffel bag and set it down on her coffee table. It contained pictures he'd taken with his digital camera.

"I apologize for the quality on these," he began sheepishly. "The focus somehow got messed up – probably when Kevin borrowed it to take pictures of a few camels we spotted." A light grin flitted across his features.

Sam nodded and squinted as she tried to make out the subjects of the blurry pictures. They appeared to be of hieroglyphs and pictographs, though she could hardly recognize them. Not that she was an expert on these things…

"I know you can barely see them, but let me at least give you some idea of what they're about. As I studied them, I wrote up some extensive notes." He trailed off and searched his duffel bag for his notebook. Clasping it in his hand, he thumbed through it until he came to the last section of notes he'd taken.

"Basically, it depicts a normal representation of civilization during the Middle Kingdom, with one interesting exception. There's one set of hieroglyphs that talk of beings that are … the closest translation I could find was 'foreign." These beings came from some distant place and would walk among the indigenous population. One of the corresponding pictographs depicts members of all the classes – the aristocracy, the upper classes and even the poor – among these unknown 'beings.'"

Sam looked at him intently as she listened. "'From a distant place'… could they have been nomads who came from someplace far away like Asia, or even some more remote location in Africa?" she offered.

Daniel's eyes lit up, as if he was expecting her answer and was eager to either embrace it or refute it. "Ah, see that's what _I_ originally thought. But, there's one _very_ interesting thing that made me change my mind."

Sam found his enthusiasm endearing and bit back an affectionate chuckle. Instead, her eyebrows drew together as she looked at him curiously.

Daniel licked two of his fingers and flipped the page of the album over. He took two of the photos out of their plastic sleeves and held them up. One was blurred almost beyond recognition, while the other was just a hair clearer. They seemed to show pictographs, most likely the ones Daniel had just described.

"These are more pictographs, generally depicting the local population interacting with these, for lack of a better word, foreigners," he began. "Here's the interesting thing: one of the scenes depicts what I'm reasonably sure is the sky. Located in the corner of this … sky … is a group of round objects aligned in a specific pattern. Their grouping is consistent throughout. I thought they could be stars, but the hieroglyphs led me to believe otherwise –"

"You think they're planets," Sam interrupted, completing his train of thought as she knew where he was going.

Daniel regarded her seriously and nodded.

"And the fact that they could be planets makes you think that these 'foreigners' might be aliens," she continued, a faint smile appearing on her face.

A faint blush colored Daniel's cheeks but once he recognized the smile on Sam's face, he smiled broadly. "Yes," he said quietly.

"It ties in with your theory," Sam mused quietly, sounding impressed.

"That's where I need your expertise," he said. "I wonder if there's any way you can tell if these planets depict the ones in our solar system."

She turned back to the photos and her brow furrowed. "Not from those pictures."

Daniel chuckled. "That's why I wanted you to come with me. My evidence isn't exactly strong. I'd like you to see it up close and I'd like to get some video footage of it. My students had the video camera a good deal of the time and the battery ran out before they gave it back to me." He snorted softly.

Sam nodded. Suddenly, a thought came to her. "How does the question of whether the planets depict the ones of our solar system figure into this?"

Daniel blushed upon realizing that he'd left an important detail out. "Oh, ah … well, the first set of these pictographs show these beings located above the planets or in their immediate vicinity, which would seem to indicate that this is where they originated from. The hieroglyphs basically say the same thing."

Sam stared at Daniel and then back down to his album. "I didn't see any pictures of those."

"They're towards the back, but unfortunately they didn't turn out well at all," he replied grimly.

Sam nodded and barely caught Daniel gazing down at his bag once again.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said hastily as he bent down and began rummaging through it. Sam looked at him expectantly.

He grabbed a small cloth bag and presented it to her. "I got this at a bazaar not far from the hotel. You didn't think I'd come back without getting you a gift, did you?" He gave her a warm smile.

Emotion briefly flashed across Sam's face before she reached into the bag and pulled out a necklace. Her jaw dropped and she ran her finger over it. It featured a round-shaped pendant that appeared to be made of gold and was engraved with the symbol of an eye. The long chain from which it hung was fashioned out of small beads. She looked back up at Daniel, silently asking him what it was supposed to be.

"It's the Eye of Ra," Daniel told her. It's an ancient Egyptian amulet that had protective powers and was believed to ward off evil."

Sam took in his explanation and then looked back down at the necklace. "This is ancient Egyptian?" she asked, seemingly impressed.

"Ah … yeah. Well, actually, it's a _replica_ of an ancient amulet – at least that's what the merchant told me. I'm not so sure how true that is, but as soon as I saw it I thought of you."

Sam looked at him and blinked. "You only thought of me when you saw this amulet?" she asked in a slight teasing tone.

Daniel chuckled affectionately. "No, of course not! I mean, I thought it would make the perfect gift for you. I was hoping to find something more akin to that which a pharaoh gave his beloved queen. This was the next best thing."

Sam grinned and nodded. Daniel reached for the amulet and gestured for Sam to lower her head slightly. As she did, he slipped the necklace over her head and down around her neck. She looked down at it appreciatively and then back up at him with a smile. "Thank you, Daniel," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "This was such a sweet thing for you to do."

"It's nothing," he said as he smiled tenderly. He hugged her and then gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Sam beamed and the notion that she'd been quite angry with Daniel so recently was all but a memory.

"So, Dr. Carter, will you be joining me on this expedition?" he asked coyly.

Sam laughed softly. "I would be more than happy to, Dr. Jackson. I'm eager to see what these 'planets' are supposed to represent. Hey, come to think of it, we'll both be 'Dr. Jackson' soon enough."

Genuine warmth filled Daniel when he realized once again that they would be married soon. He smiled at her. "We'll be Drs. Jackson."

Sam nodded. Her smile faded when she realized she had to get more information about this little trip of theirs. "When are we going to be leaving?" she asked.

"Oh … right. The flight is at 9 AM. I got a later flight this time because I didn't want you to have to get up at the crack of dawn. I felt bad for coming over to say goodbye so early that day," he said ruefully, remembering when he visited her before he left for Egypt, "and the return flight back to Colorado on the twenty-fourth is at 1 PM."

Sam nodded. "There are still so many things I have to figure out here. What type of clothes should I bring? Should I bring any extra supplies?"

"Don't worry about it, Sam. I've got everything taken care of … well, except for the clothes, of course. Ah … your clothes, that is." He blushed slightly. "Bring clothes that are lightweight. You'll want to bring sunglasses and some sunscreen definitely, although I have plenty of that so you can use mine. Do you have a wide-brimmed hat?"

Sam's brow creased in thought. "I have a sunhat made of straw that I use when I'm gardening, but I doubt that will do me any good this time."

Daniel grinned and shook his head. He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a tan colored boonie hat with an adjustable chin strap. The price tag attached to it revealed that it was brand new – either that, or he'd had it a while and let it go unnoticed.

"I bought it for you," Daniel elaborated.

Sam began to feel bad. "You didn't have to do that."

Daniel shrugged. "It's really nothing."

"What about you? Do you have one of these?"

Daniel looked at her. "Ah … not exactly. I have something else. Don't worry about that."

Sam studied his face and then shrugged, resigned. She rose from the couch and motioned for Daniel to get up. As they were leaving early and he had everything he needed with him, he would be spending the night at Sam's house. She insisted on opening up the couch for Daniel, but he didn't want her to go to all the trouble. He was content to just lie on the couch as it was. Sam begrudgingly accepted it, but she fetched an extra pillow and a blanket for Daniel anyway.

After a goodnight kiss, Sam made her way into her bedroom, pulled out her large barrel bag that doubled as an impromptu suitcase, and set it on top of her bed. As she began to pack, she kept thinking of the discovery Daniel had made and its possible implications. She admitted to herself that it did seem quite fascinating and she was actually excited that it would require her expertise.

She finished her packing and placed the bag at the foot of her bed. Just as she was about to shut the light off and turn in, she looked down at herself, touched the amulet that hung across her chest, and smiled.


	28. Chapter 28 Sam's First Expedition

Chapter 28

After she'd gone through her nightly routine, Sam collapsed onto the bed inside their hotel room in Cairo. She thought back to what had taken place over the course of this very long day. Despite the bit of confusion stemming from the fact that Daniel seemed to have misplaced the plane tickets, everything went smoothly. The flight, albeit long, was a fairly relaxed one. Nevertheless, they were both quite tired from the journey, so they decided to spend the evening looking around at the local bazaars after having dinner. Afterward, they retired back to the hotel to talk about their plans for the next day.

"I figure we'll leave here by about eight o'clock," Daniel told her as he eased down next to her. "That way, it won't be as hot since the sun will have been up only a few hours. Plus, if we start early we'll have plenty of time to study the evidence. We'd be able to make it back to the hotel for dinner."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. She then looked at him and furrowed her brow. "Dinner? What are we going to do about lunch?" she asked.

Daniel bent over and rummaged through his bag. He grabbed a couple of Powerbars and held them up. "MREs," he said, grinning.

"MREs," Sam mused before her eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! Meals Ready to Eat. Right. Dad would talk about those all the time. I thought it was just military-speak, though. Where did you get that from, Daniel?"

"Actually, one of my former students had previously worked with the Air Force. Whenever we went on digs, we'd usually bring meal bars like these and he'd jokingly call them MREs. They _are_ basically meals that are ready to eat, although he mentioned that the military version was not nearly as good," he chuckled.

"Yeah, from what Dad said, they were pretty bad," Sam agreed, grinning. "I'm glad I've never had to experience them."

"Ditto," Daniel replied. He looked back down at the Powerbars. "Anyway, I have a bunch of these and a couple of water canteens for us, so we should be set in terms of sustenance. I've got plenty of pens and pencils, several notebooks, a small tape recorder, flashlights with plenty of batteries …"

Sam nodded. "My digital camera is charged and focused properly."

Daniel grinned. "Great, we'll use it as a backup. Is the video camera charged?"

"All charged and ready to go," Sam replied as she gestured to the camera that was plugged into the charging unit on the other side of the room.

"Great," he answered again before kissing her softly on the lips. He turned briefly to remove his glasses and place them on the small night table next to the bed. "Then everything is all set. I can't wait for you to see this, Sam," he said as he turned back to her.

A broad smile spread across Sam's face as his eyes pierced hers. "I can't wait to see it, either. You've got me all excited about it."

"Really? You're not exactly showing it," he teased affectionately.

"I am excited. Trust me," she answered playfully. With that, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, followed by a longer, more tender kiss. Small sparks of passion ignited as the kiss became deeper. Sam reached underneath Daniel's pajama top and caressed his chest as Daniel's hands grabbed hold of the spaghetti straps of Sam's nightgown. He pulled them slightly off of her shoulders, but he stopped before it would pull down the front part of her gown completely, exposing her breasts. Sam also had the urge to reach down underneath the waist of Daniel's pajama bottoms, but concentrated on his chest as well as the strands of hair at the nape of his neck. It was as if some small part of each of them was not willing to go all the way just yet. They both emitted low groans and finally remembered that they couldn't survive without oxygen. Their lips parted and they exchanged longing gazes.

"I take that back. You are showing it," Daniel said, nearly out of breath as his eyes bore into Sam's.

Sam panted slowly as she attempted to catch her breath as well. "I told you I was excited."

Daniel caught his breath and smiled widely. Suddenly, he emitted a little yawn. "And now I'm exhausted." He eased down onto his pillow, turned his back to her, and pulled the sheet up to his chest. "Goodnight, Sam," he said, his voice slightly muffled.

Sam looked at him, almost dumbfounded. He was suddenly exhausted? If only a few minutes of passion made him this way, she wondered if making love would put him into a coma. Her cheeks grew hot as she stared in disbelief at the lump next to her. The disbelief was slowly being replaced by disappointment as Daniel remained unmoving except for the rise and fall of his chest. She cast another wary eye upon him before easing down onto her pillow, facing his direction.

She was just about to close her eyes when Daniel suddenly turned over and faced her with twinkling blue eyes and a wide grin on his face.

"Just kidding," he said impishly.

Sam uttered a slight sound of disbelief. "Oh, you!" she exclaimed as she bopped him lightly on the head with her pillow.

Daniel chuckled softly before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as a peace offering.

"Don't ever do that again, okay? It makes me feel … inadequate," she said awkwardly.

Daniel's eyebrows shot up.

"You know what I mean," she added, blushing once again.

Daniel grinned and gave her one more kiss, this time on the lips. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I guess we better get some sleep now anyway. We have a big day ahead of us."

Sam looked at him and conceded with a slow nod. "Goodnight, Daniel," she said before kissing him back.

"Goodnight, Sam."

* * *

Early the next morning, Sam and Daniel had changed into their desert wear and headed down to the hotel dining room for breakfast. Much to Sam's relief, choices that more closely resembled traditional American breakfast dishes like hot cereal were included on the menu. She had been a little daring the night before and had ordered Lahma mu'assaga – savory minced meat – for dinner. This morning, however, she wanted to play it safe.

After a quite good breakfast, they came back upstairs to do some last minute preparations and collect all their equipment for the expedition. Sam fitted her boonie hat onto her head and grinned as she surveyed herself in the mirror. _I look like I'm ready for a safari_, she thought to herself. She tried to picture Daniel in a hat like this and her grin grew wider. Her eyes drifted down to the chest of drawers where Daniel's bottle of SPF 60 sunscreen sat. She grabbed it and began applying liberal amounts to nearly every inch of exposed skin. Fair-skinned as she was, she had the tendency to burn easily and, after a couple of painful childhood burns, she wasn't taking any chances.

She'd just about finished applying the sunscreen when Daniel emerged from the bathroom, cleaning his glasses with a small rag. "Ready to go?" he asked her once he'd put them back on.

Sam turned toward him and her eyes and mouth formed three nearly perfect O's. Apart from being dressed in his desert gear, he had a tan-colored bandana tied around his head. His hair flowed out from underneath it and flopped over the top half of his shirt collar. Sam had never seen him like this and was nearly at a loss for words.

Upon not receiving an answer from her, Daniel looked at her expectantly and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh … uh … yeah, yeah, I guess," she said, clearing her throat.

Daniel looked her over once more and smiled faintly. "You look good in that," he said, gesturing first to her clothes and then to the boonie hat. "Forget the astrophysics degree – you look just like an archaeologist," he said coyly.

Sam blushed and gave him and awkward smile. "I can't say I've really seen an archaeologist wear something like that," she said as she gestured to his bandana. "That's all you have to protect you from the sun?" Not that there was anything wrong with it.

"Ah … yeah," he answered. "I have a hat just like yours but I misplaced it. This is the next best thing. Plus, it keeps my hair back and out of my face, which can be pretty important when you're bent over studying ruins." He ended with a nervous little chuckle.

Sam nodded as she stared at him appreciatively. She broke her stare as he made his way up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. As he stepped back, he wrinkled his nose slightly upon almost getting a taste of sunscreen. "How much did you put on?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I don't want to take any chances," she said sheepishly, giving a little shrug.

Daniel nodded. "Actually, I should talk – I'm always putting on more than I need. That's why you notice I never have a tan." He took the bottle of sunscreen and began slathering it on all over his exposed skin. He replaced the bottle and surveyed the room for their gear.

"Is everything set?" he asked her.

She bent down and went through the two bags that contained their equipment. Satisfied that they had all they needed, she turned to him, straightened up and said, "Yeah, we're all set to go."

Daniel smiled and nodded. "Great." He picked up the olive green bag and watched as she picked up the navy blue bag. He gave her one last smile before they closed the door behind them and set off.

* * *

Sam looked around curiously as she followed Daniel down the dark corridors of the burial chamber. It seemed that it was minutes ago that the two of them were trekking across the hot desert in a Land Rover. She was like a child, nearly gawking around at everything in her field of vision, especially when the tomb came into view. After they arrived, she helped him set up a small tent close to the entrance. Now, she was actually exploring the inside of the chamber with him. She'd watched various documentaries on TV about exploring the pyramids and tombs of ancient Egypt, but she never thought she'd get to experience them herself. It was, in a word, exciting.

"Daniel, this place is fascinating," she murmured.

She heard Daniel utter a low chuckle. "You sound just like I did over ten years ago," he said fondly.

He stopped to let Sam come up beside him and he noticed her glancing at him oddly. "Ah, not that I don't find it fascinating anymore … it's just that there isn't anything terribly impressive in this part of the chamber," he said awkwardly.

She looked at him and blinked.

"I'm sorry, Sam," he sighed. "I know that this is all new to you. What I meant to say was, if you think this is fascinating just wait until you see the hidden room."

Sam's stern expression softened and her eyes regained their twinkle. "Hidden room?"

"That's where the hieroglyphs and pictographs – a/k/a the exciting discovery – are located," he elaborated. His tone of voice and the little smile on his face revealed pure enthusiasm.

Sam returned the smile and nodded. They continued silently down the corridor, their flashlights clearing a path in the darkness. As she glanced behind them and noticed the inky blackness, she shuddered slightly. Even though being in a tomb like this was fascinating, there was a bit of a frightening aspect to it as well, especially after having watched a good amount of horror movies focused on mummies. Sam was glad she was with Daniel, who seemed to know his way through the chamber after he'd already been there once before. She was also glad that the batteries in their flashlights had a full charge and that they had plenty of extra batteries with them.

The silence was broken as Daniel began to explain some of the hieroglyphs on the wall to Sam. When they reached the part that Kevin was studying, he went into detail about Kevin's thesis and what their findings suggested. Although it was all very interesting, Sam only listened to him with half an ear. Her anticipation over Daniel's exciting discovery was at the forefront.

"And," Daniel finally announced as they finished their long journey down one of the corridors to a seemingly dead end, "Here it is."

Sam squinted as she tried to make something out inside the area in which Daniel was shining his flashlight. Daniel stepped back and gestured for her to lower her head and climb through the large hole in the wall. She looked at him uncertainly and a tinge of fear colored her eyes.

"It's okay," Daniel coaxed. "It's perfectly safe. And I'll be right behind you."

With that, Sam exhaled, turned back around and climbed through the hole with Daniel on her heels. As she looked around to get her bearings, she noticed pieces of broken pottery scattered around as well as some sort of jars that were intact. For a moment, Daniel seemed to get distracted as he left her side and made a beeline for one of the jars. He picked it up then knelt down on the ground to study it closely.

Sam made her way over to him and stood watching him. He was clearly intrigued by what he was looking at and she didn't want to disturb him. Daniel finally turned and noticed her standing in back of him with questions in her eyes.

"Oh … ah, it's a Canopic jar," he told her. "They usually contained the preserved organs of the deceased."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. As she kept her flashlight trained on Daniel, her mind began to wander and she suddenly found herself staring at him instead of the object in his hands. She'd seen Daniel in different styles of clothing but never anything like this. It had to be the bandana. There was something about it that really appealed to her – not that she didn't find Daniel attractive before. Perhaps it was the way it was tied around his head, or the way it swept his hair back from his eyes so she could get an even better look at those clear blue orbs.

She finally shrugged herself out of it and disciplined herself to focus on what they were supposed to be studying. She couldn't believe she was gawking at her husband-to-be like that. She touched the corner of her mouth and blushed when she realized she had even started to drool.

_Can I really help it? _she asked herself.

As she snapped out of her reverie she realized that Daniel was no longer with her and had moved on to some other part of the room.

"Sam," he called out. "It's over here."

"Oh! Okay, I'll be right there," she called back absently as she tried to get herself in order. She pushed the thoughts of her fiancé's extremely good looks into the back of her mind before she made her way toward the back of the room.

She found Daniel knelt down next to the wall and running his hands across a set of pictographs. She shone her flashlight onto them as she knelt down next to him. What she was looking at didn't seem out of the ordinary to her. "This wasn't what you showed me, Daniel," she told him.

Daniel turned briefly to look at her. "No, this isn't it. It's right … over here," he said as he moved slightly over to the right.

Sam followed him and searched through the pictographs and hieroglyphs until her eyes caught the unmistakable objects that Daniel had shown her when he'd first arrived home. Her brow furrowed in concentration as he explained what the pictographs represented, supplemented by his translation of the corresponding hieroglyphs. Although she was almost completely in the dark regarding things like this, she found it hard to disprove Daniel's theory.

As she looked at the pictures intently, Daniel moved slightly back from the wall and over to an area behind what Sam thought resembled some sort of altar. "Now, I thought that the hieroglyphs were the only thing we had and was afraid that there wouldn't be enough evidence to support my idea. But … this isn't the case," he said as he bent down in front of a limestone relief.

Sam backed away from the wall and joined him. The relief depicted nearly the same scene as the pictographs, right down to the specific grouping of the "planets." She grabbed a notebook out of Daniel's bag and began making a sketch of them in hopes of studying their distribution later.

"Oh, ah … there's no need for that," Daniel said quietly. He gestured to the video camera, which he'd just turned on. He began making several slow sweeps across the relief. Sam stared at the quick sketch she'd just drawn before she replaced the notebook and reached for the digital camera. She took several still photos of the relief as well before she went back to the hieroglyphs and pictographs they had just looked at.

"I need your honest opinion, Sam," Daniel began earnestly once she'd rejoined him in front of the relief. "Do you think you can find some way to tell whether these bodies represent our solar system?"

She looked at him intently and found a mixture of enthusiasm and hope in his eyes. Truth be told, she wasn't quite sure if she could tell what they represented, given the evidence. Nevertheless, she wasn't the type of person to just give up when presented with evidence that was on the obscure side. This was something that intrigued her and she wanted to do as much as possible to solve the riddle, even if it led to a few dead ends. She was always persistent in attacking whatever problem she'd been faced with, whether it was her own or one shared with others. She might not have known it yet, but it was just one more thing that she had in common with Daniel.

"I think so, Daniel," she finally said. "I would need to look up what the rates of planetary shift were so I could have an idea of what their positions were at this … time. I take it there are other inscriptions or pictures that depict the position of the planets back then or sometime before or after?"

Daniel thought for a moment and then nodded. "There are Sumerian engravings that depict the planets of our solar system in their rightful positions at the time. They date to around 4000 BC, but I think they might help."

Sam nodded, remembering a documentary she'd once seen that mentioned such depictions of the planets from Sumerian engravings.

"I have a book with some good pictures of them as well as an explanation, but we might be able to get the actual tablets from a museum," Daniel continued.

Sam nodded. "Let's not worry about that just yet. We still have to study what we have here," she said, waving her hands around.

Daniel looked into her eyes and smiled faintly. "Okay," he nodded. "I'm glad that you're willing to help me with this, Sam."

Sam blushed faintly and smiled back. "Anytime, Daniel," she said as she edged closer to him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "This whole thing has me intrigued and if it leads to something wonderful, I'm more than happy to be a part of it," she continued as she absent-mindedly ran her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. "And, if it doesn't lead to something wonderful, I'd still be happy to be a part of it, working side by side with you."

Daniel's smile widened before they exchanged a quick kiss. After they pulled apart, he looked around the room, remembering what their task at hand was. He turned back to her and said, "I guess we'd really better get a move on with this so we'll be able to finish before nightfall."

Sam laughed gently at his awkward tone before joining him in front of the relief, ready to get back to work.

* * *

It was almost 7 PM and Sam was beginning to get restless. She jotted a few notes down in Daniel's notebook and watched as he did yet another sweep over the pictographs and hieroglyphs with the camera. Sam wondered how many that would make today; she'd lost count around number 24 and that was right after their little lunch break. She berated herself for growing impatient, but she thought she'd seen enough of the writings and pictures for one day. She couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and study these pictures in a place that had better light. The fairly dim conditions didn't seem to bother Daniel and Sam ruefully surmised that she would make a terrible archaeologist.

"Daniel," she almost pleaded. "Are you almost done? We've been looking at this section of hieroglyphs for hours." She groaned inwardly upon hearing the slight whine in her own voice.

Either Daniel didn't hear her or he did hear and was too engrossed in what he was doing to give her an answer. She certainly hoped that he wasn't annoyed with her. "Haven't you gotten enough film footage of this?" she asked, gesturing with her hand to the wall.

Daniel finally took the camera away from his eyes and looked up at her curiously. "What time is it?" he asked, not actually answering her question.

Sam peered down at her watch. "It's just about seven."

Daniel's eyes widened briefly and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "I guess we can call it a day now. I just want to make some quick notes in my book." With that, he finally turned off the camera and replaced it in its bag. He grabbed the notebook he'd been using and began writing quickly in it.

"You didn't answer my question," Sam persisted.

He stopped writing and looked at her.

"Why did you have to get so much film footage of this?"

"Seeing as how the batteries were dead last time I was in here, I thought it was better to play it safe. You always try to get as much footage as you can in case something doesn't come out well. Plus, you can never have too much footage of this," he grinned as he gestured toward the pictographs he'd studied extensively.

Sam grinned and shook her head. As Daniel went back to writing his notes and making a few little sketches, Sam began staring at him. She took in his features as she watched him work. She'd done it at various times earlier on, but it was only a brief glance or two and she managed to stay focused on the matter at hand. Now that they were at a stopping point, she had no excuse _not_ to ogle him once more. There was no need to discipline herself any longer.

She failed to realize that Daniel had stopped writing and was looking at her inquisitively. "What?" he asked.

Sam blinked and finally came down off her cloud. "Oh, uh … sorry," she said as her cheeks became rosy. She adopted a sly grin and continued, "I just love the sight of you in a bandana."

Daniel looked at her blankly. "Oh?"

She nodded. "It makes you look adorable, handsome, sexy …" She trailed off, finally aware of what she'd just said. It make her blush deepen.

Daniel's eyebrows quickly shot up and then came back down and furrowed. "You mean you didn't find me adorable, handsome or sexy before today?" he asked in a mock disappointed tone.

Sam's blush turned yet a shade deeper. "No, no," she insisted. "You were always those things and more, Daniel. I guess I just have a thing for guys in bandanas." She gave him a crooked grin.

Daniel gave her a teasing grin back. "I never thought you were that type," he said.

Sam looked away and giggled nervously. "Yeah, I guess I'm not. I guess it's just something about _you_ in a bandana, okay?" she said once she returned her gaze to him.

Daniel gave her an odd look and raised his eyebrows.

"You're not making this very easy for me," Sam said, still laughing somewhat.

"I hope you're not going to make me wear this every day, Sam," he continued playfully. "You might think that hat hair is bad. Well, bandana hair is even worse."

Sam rolled her eyes briefly before a wide smile graced her lips. "I can't imagine that it would be. But, I'll take your word for it," she said.

Daniel smiled gratefully at her before giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I think we've got everything packed up, so why don't we head back out now. We've got enough for one day and we'll be able to do a lot more tomorrow."

_What else is there to do_, Sam wondered. She looked at Daniel apologetically as he scooped up the olive green bag and took hold of his flashlight. "I'm sorry if I seemed to be rushing you. I'm just really intrigued about this whole thing and I can't wait to view the evidence back at the hotel. We can hook the video camera up to the TV and watch the footage, right?"

Daniel nodded. "That's why you were getting impatient? I thought it was because you were growing tired of this whole thing."

"Are you kidding?" she said incredulously. "Not on your life!"

Daniel merely chuckled softly as he headed out of the room with Sam and down the corridor toward the exit of the tomb. Deep down, though, he had a big smile on his face.

* * *

Sam sat with her nose almost up against the TV as she viewed the video footage, pausing it every now and then. It was now almost 11 PM and she'd been looking at it for nearly three hours. Daniel had joined her for the first hour and a half, studying both the video footage and the photos taken with the digital camera. He had smiled to himself, content that she had taken as much interest in this as he had. The fact that someone so close to him seemed to share his interests so much actually touched him.

They'd both reviewed the first bit of evidence they'd procured with deep interest. They engaged in some discussions about what they could be dealing with. After a while Daniel realized how late it was getting and that they would have to be up early again the next day. He left Sam to her own devices while he showered and got through the rest of his nightly routine.

Now he was half-sitting, half-lying on top of the bed with his glasses off and tilting his head back slightly. "Sam, honey, please come to bed. It's getting late and we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I'll be there in a second," she replied absently without even looking back at him.

"But, Sam –"

"If I remember, _you_ were the one who was spending way too much time on this stuff in the tomb," she interrupted with a hint of amusement in her voice at their role reversal.

Daniel acknowledged her with a small yawn. "I know. But, we've had a long day and it's time for some much-needed sleep."

Her posture became rigid and she sighed, realizing that he had a point and that sleep was the only option. "Okay," she said, resigned.

She turned off the TV, unplugged the video camera and put it back in its case, and returned the notebooks and the digital camera to their rightful locations. She barely noticed him as she collected her sleepwear and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change.

When she reemerged, Daniel was in the exact same position. This time, she couldn't help but notice him. He was sitting up against the bed frame with his legs outstretched. His eyes were shut and his head was tilted back, causing his hair to just barely touch his shoulders. She stared at him and realized once again how gorgeous her husband-to-be was.

As she settled into bed next to him, she unwittingly let a quiet chuckle escape her throat as she thought back to when they'd first arrived back from their excavation. After setting the equipment down, the first thing he'd done was remove the bandana from his head. Sam resisted the temptation of reaching out and smoothing down the light brown strands that were randomly kissed by the sun. Daniel had saved her the trouble as he fingered a comb and began to fix it himself.

"What?" he asked her as he caught her laugh and gave her a sideways look.

She thought Daniel appeared almost paranoid as he turned to face her better and raised his eyebrows expectantly. "It's nothing," she said dismissively.

Daniel continued to look at her somewhat dubiously. "I can't help but notice that you've been a little … giggly … today, Sam," he said with a hint of amusement.

Sam's cheeks flushed at his observation. She looked down at her hands and cleared her throat before returning her glance to him. "Sorry. I guess I'm just …" she paused as she searched for the right word, "… excited about this whole thing. I've never been inside an ancient Egyptian tomb before. Not only that, but the evidence and how it could apply to your theory of aliens visiting Earth during this time… I mean, the ramifications of it all are just …" she trailed off as her smile widened and she shook her head, seemingly impressed.

"It's so incredible, Daniel," she said forthrightly. "I'm really glad to be a part of this."

Daniel beamed proudly deep inside, though his façade only produced a warm smile. Sam was not only soon to be his wife; she was also his partner. They would be working side by side to try to unravel this mystery, not unlike Marie and Pierre Curie or Louis and Mary Leakey. He didn't care how long it would take them to study everything, or how many tries it would take them to arrive at a conclusion. The fact that Sam was working with him made it entirely worthwhile.

He wondered if he would have persisted in this research or had been more forthcoming about his theory if he hadn't met her in the first place. Daniel was a persistent young man who could be quite passionate about his work. He was also quite meek and some of that passion had dimmed when his ideas were continually shot out of the water by former professors and research advisors. It was compounded by his being denied funding from various scientific institutes and foundations. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd go ahead with all of this if Sam hadn't entered into the picture. Perhaps the one thing he needed was someone who truly believed in him. It would certainly make sense, given the behavior of his parents the last time he'd spoken to them. He believed he found that person in Sam.

"Hey …"

He was pulled out of his deep thoughts by Sam's voice.

"Daniel, are you okay?" she asked. As his eyes refocused, he noticed the concerned look on her face.

He looked at her thoughtfully before a bright smile spread across his face. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sam returned the smile and began fingering the buttons of his blue pajamas. She stopped as Daniel edged closer to her, put his arm around her and engulfed her in a soft, tender kiss. They eased back down onto the bed and unbridled passion was released as the kiss became deeper. As Sam began undoing his buttons to revisit his handsome chest, Daniel's hand was roaming across the small of Sam's back. It reached its ultimate destination of her left buttock and softly cupped it, kneading the flesh ever so slightly. At that instant, Daniel removed his lips from Sam and began planting small kisses along the crook of her neck. She groaned softly as the kisses moved from her neck down to her breasts. Her hand roamed down his chest, bypassing his nether regions for now and began caressing his inner thigh. Her groan became a little louder as she felt him growing hard against her thighs.

After several minutes of going almost as far as they could go without doing the actual deed, the two slightly moved apart and collapsed. Sam lifted her head to look at Daniel who was splayed on his back. His hair was spread out across the cream-colored pillow and as his breathing slowed, a small smile formed on his face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sam asked him impishly.

He turned toward her and grinned. "Most definitely," he drawled. He scooted over toward her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, which caused her to emit a small, affectionate laugh.

As she stopped laughing, the face of the clock radio on the end table past Daniel grabbed her attention. "Whoa – it's almost midnight," she announced soberly.

Daniel straightened up and began re-buttoning his pajama top. "Oh, God, I didn't realize it was that late," he said. "We'd better get some sleep. We have another long day ahead of us in the tomb."

Sam nodded as he pulled the sheet over them. "I didn't realize it was that late, either. Goodnight, Daniel," she said after he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before switching off the light.

_Time flies when you're having fun_, she silently added.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

A/N: the source for the ancient Egyptian love poem can be found at the Tour Egypt site.

Sam leaned back in her seat and sighed as she put her magazine down and gazed out the window at the billowing clouds. She guessed that they were now somewhere over the vast Atlantic Ocean. She turned to her right and grinned as she noticed Daniel lying back in his partially reclined seat, glasses perched on the end of his nose as he dozed away. In his lap was one of his notebooks from their expedition containing the notes he'd reviewed with her some twenty minutes ago. He'd been so excited about what they found that he couldn't wait until they got back home before discussing it with her. Sam shared his excitement, although she suggested they talk in hushed tones or use euphemisms when mentioning anything that had to do with aliens. She wasn't quite comfortable with talking about it on a packed flight of complete strangers.

She watched Daniel sleep for a moment longer and, without hesitation, removed the notebook from his lap and placed it back inside his carry-on bag under his seat. She then reached over, removed his glasses, and rummaged through his bag in search of his glasses case …

"What are you doing?"

Sam nearly dropped the glasses as she reacted in surprise. After she recovered, she looked over at him and noticed him watching her out of the corner of eyes framed by heavy lids. Something that barely passed as a faint smile flitted across his features.

Sam looked at him and managed a crooked grin. "I thought you were asleep."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he asked innocently as he fully opened his eyes.

"The fact that you were snoring softly," she challenged.

"That wasn't me," Daniel said, now sitting up and shaking his head. He held his hand out and gestured for his glasses, which Sam dutifully returned to him. He then turned back in his seat and gestured discreetly to an old man sitting behind him, wearing headphones and snoring softly.

"Well, you _looked_ like you were asleep," Sam said with a hint of defensiveness in her voice.

Daniel shook his head again. "I was meditating."

"Get out of here! You meditate?" she asked, grinning.

Daniel blushed faintly. "Well, I guess it's not really meditation. It mostly involves lying back, shutting my eyes, and taking slow, deep breaths. It's not something I do very often, just whenever I'm stressed out or nervous about something."

Sam's brows drew together as she looked at him curiously. "Daniel?" she asked quietly. "You're stressed out?"

Daniel's blush grew. "No … well, not exactly. I'm just … so excited about our find and I can't wait to start getting deep into it."

Her brows furrowed deeper and she regarded him dubiously. His tone let on that he wasn't exactly telling the truth.

"Okay, I have a slight problem with heights," he muttered weakly as he shut his eyes in defeat.

Sam continued to look at him curiously. "Don't you fly all over the place, Daniel? I would have thought …"

Daniel cut her off and nodded. "Yes, I do. But, I usually take anything but the window seat or I have the shade pulled down. I try to focus on something else to keep my mind off the fact that we're so many thousands of feet up in the air."

Sam nodded slowly before it dawned on her that the shade was up on her window. She quickly turned to her left and pulled the shade down most of the way. "Daniel, I'm sorry," she said, ashamed.

"Please, Sam, it's okay. You didn't know," he insisted.

"Wait. You didn't have any problem when you took me over towards Pikes Peak that night," she said. "We were at an elevation of more than a few thousand feet. We even stopped at that overlook."

"I know," he nodded. "It wasn't a tight, enclosed space. If it was a narrow ledge with a sudden drop, I think I might have passed out. I've been in places like that when I was trekking across mountains during graduate school. While I didn't pass out, there were times when I froze. I had to close my eyes and discipline myself to go further."

"How does a fear of flying fit into all of this?"

Daniel lowered his head and glanced down at his lap. "When I was six, we were flying back from Egypt to New York. We were flying through a severe thunderstorm and there was a lot of turbulence. The plane shook so much I thought it was going to fall out of the sky. My parents tried to comfort me and explain that there was nothing to worry about, but I could still sense a bit of fear in their voices. To make matters worse, I'd just heard about a plane crashing on the news several weeks before. I was almost terrified, but all I did was sit still and shut my eyes. I tried breathing deeply and counting to 10, then 20, and then 100. I was still a bundle of nerves, but it did help to calm me just a little." He paused and looked back up at Sam, noticing the sympathy in her eyes. "Anyway, ever since then I've been a little squeamish about flying. It's not exactly a bona fide fear and it's not something that's recurrent; it tends to get worse when I'm excited about something. But, for the most part, it's something that I can deal with." He ended with a shrug.

Sam looked at him and nodded. She leaned over and began stroking his hair. The action seemed to comfort Daniel and he exhaled deeply. "Are you okay now?" she asked.

Daniel turned to look at her and nodded. He gave her a faint smile before he glanced down at her free hand and covered it with his. Sam smiled back and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before she leaned her head on his shoulder. Within minutes, she was asleep. Her slow, even breaths put Daniel completely at ease. Moving carefully so as not to startle her, he slowly removed his glasses, folded them up, and affixed them to the crew neck of his shirt before his eyes began to droop and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

The day after they returned to Colorado Springs was spent helping Daniel move his things into Sam's house. A larger place to live was included in their future plans, but they decided that finding something they both liked was sure to take some time. Of their individual dwellings, Sam's was the largest and most practical. They rented a small truck to transport most of the necessities. The things he no longer needed, mostly household appliances, were donated to thrift shops or the Salvation Army.

They spent a bit of time deciding where to put various things, including small pieces of furniture and Daniel's fish tank. There were a few silly disagreements, but they were resolved in the end with no hard feelings. Sam grinned to herself as she hung a few of Daniel's artifacts up on her walls and placed the picture of Daniel riding a camel on the small table in her foyer. Daniel instantly blushed and asked her to put it back inside its box. He didn't understand why she wanted lots of pictures of him cluttering up her home. She would have none of it and insisted that, not only was it also his home now, but she wanted them there. He resigned himself after she pointed to the various pictures she had of herself as a child, a few of them including her father.

Moving Daniel's things and putting everything into place left them nearly exhausted. Sam was in no mood to cook and they weren't about to go out for dinner, so they ended up ordering in. Over slices of pizza, they watched "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" – one of the DVDs that Sam had gotten for Daniel for his birthday – in Daniel's DVD player that had just been set up.

That night, as he joined Sam in bed, Daniel noticed her sitting up with her hand on her chin and a faraway look in her eyes.

"A penny for your thoughts," he said as he lightly touched her on the arm.

Sam blinked and turned toward him, noticing the concern lurking behind his bright blue eyes. She sighed and her lips edged up in a faint smile. "I was just thinking back over these past few months," she began wistfully. "It's amazing how things turn out sometimes. I was sitting alone in a coffee shop feeling sorry for myself. A guy bumps into me and spills hot coffee on me, in an act that I'm sure will ruin my day. Here it is, almost five months later and he's sharing my bed." She blushed faintly and adopted a slight grin.

Daniel's blush matched Sam's. "I was so afraid the girl I spilled coffee on would beat me senseless," he chuckled affectionately. "If you told me that I would end up marrying her some months later, I would have looked at you like you had six heads and left you to ponder your preposterous statement alone."

Sam suddenly looked away shyly and uttered a short, nervous laugh.

"It's amazing how serendipitous love can be, isn't it?" he continued. With that, she fixed her gaze back on him. She felt her heart melt when she took in his warm, loving expression. She smiled and nodded.

Not a further word was exchanged as they embraced and shared a slow, tender kiss. Their exhaustion prevented them from going much further than that, as did their unspoken agreement that they would hold off on pure, unadulterated passion until their wedding day.

As the kiss drew to a close, Daniel caressed Sam's cheek with the back of his hand and bestowed one last kiss upon her forehead. He removed his glasses and placed them on the night table he'd brought from his apartment that now sat on his side of the bed. He settled down and snuggled up to Sam, dreaming of the day when they'd finally be husband and wife.

* * *

Two days later, on August 27th, Sam and Daniel had separate events that were related to the wedding. Steven, along with a few of Daniel's other colleagues in the Anthropology department at UCCS, had decided to hold a small, somewhat informal party for Daniel. Steven had jokingly termed it a "bachelor party," informing Daniel that it was one of his last few days as a free man. Daniel would have reacted strongly to the quip if he hadn't realized that Steven had meant it in a completely harmless, light-hearted way.

As for Sam, she'd received a call from Sara the day before, inviting her to lunch and then some coffee back at her and Jack's house. Sam obliged, as she had to discuss the wedding plans once more with her and ask her an important question. She met Sara for lunch in a casual restaurant downtown. Sara practically gushed about the flower arrangements, telling Sam that she had made a very good choice and assured her that everything would look beautiful.

On the way back to Sara's house, she noticed that Sam was quieter than usual. "Sam?" she asked as she gave her friend a quick glance. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh … yeah. I was just thinking," Sam returned quietly.

"About?"

"I don't know. Everything just seems to be happening so fast. I just wonder if it's all … right," Sam said uneasily.

Sara furrowed her brow as she swung into her driveway and parked. "You're not having second thoughts about all this, are you?"

Sam's eyes widened. "What? No, not at all! My love for Daniel is something about which I could never have second thoughts. As for the timing of the wedding, we both wanted to have a small, quick wedding so that everything would be over by the time the semester started. Neither of us have any doubts about that."

Sara looked at her thoughtfully and a faint smile graced her lips. "It's nothing but pre-wedding jitters. I went through the same thing. Of course, Jack and I married a year after we met, but it's something that everyone goes through. Everything will be fine."

Sam regarded her tentatively for a moment before a grateful smile spread across her face. "Thanks for the pep talk," she said.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Sara said, laughing softly. "You're more than welcome. Now, why don't we head on inside for some coffee?"

Sam nodded as she picked herself up off the seat and exited the car. As they traversed Sara's front walk, she looked back and noticed several cars parked in front of the house as well as the house across the street. She shrugged her shoulders, thinking that one of Sara's neighbors was having a barbeque.

"Oh, darn," Sara muttered as she fumbled with her keys. Sam waited patiently as she stuck the key inside the lock and turned the doorknob. Her eyebrows drew together as she entered the house behind Sara, noticing that all the lights were out and the shades were drawn. She stood in place near the door as she quickly lost sight of the other woman.

Before she was about to call out to Sara, the lights flickered on and she was greeted with a hearty, resounding, "Surprise!"

Sam gaped at the scene before her. The house was decorated with white garlands and streamers and there were papier maché wedding bells hanging from the ceiling. As her eyes drifted back down and she faced forward, she noticed a small group of women. They consisted of her sister-in-law Lorraine, Sara with her mother and sisters, high school friends Jill and Janet, and a tall redhead whose face she could barely place until she recognized her as Sarah Gardner, one of Daniel's colleagues in Anthropology and fiancée to Steven Rayner. Their expressions ranged from excitement to good old-fashioned warmth.

Time seemed to stop and Sam didn't realize how long she'd been gaping at everything until she heard Sara start giggling. "Are you okay, Sam?" she asked, a hint of concern peeking out from behind the giggles.

Sam could feel the warmth coming into her cheeks. "Uh … y-yeah," she was finally able to utter. "I … this is just … amazing, Sara. I just … I don't know what to say." She turned to her sister-in-law. "Lori, I can't believe you came all this way."

"Sam, it's your wedding. Mark and I love you very much and wouldn't miss it for the world," she smiled.

"But the wedding isn't until four days from now," Sam said.

"So, we just extended our visit to Colorado by four days," Lori returned. "We didn't have to do much adjusting to our schedules and there is plenty for us to do here before Sunday."

Sam smiled at her warmly as her thoughts turned to her young niece and nephew whom she missed with all her heart. She then turned to Jill and Janet and exchanged hugs with them. Still surprised to see both of them, she began to feel bad that they had come all the way from Maryland and Oklahoma when the wedding was still a few days off. They lightly admonished her for any feelings of guilt and reiterated how much she meant to them.

Last but not least, she turned and looked up at Sarah Gardner, who was watching her with a warm smile on her face. Before Sam could say anything, the redhead leaned forward and gave her a small hug.

"I can't say I expected to see you here," Sam told her with a shy smile as Sarah stepped back, "but thank you."

Sarah's smile grew. "That's quite all right, Sam. You are marrying a good friend of mine. I haven't known you very long, but I do know that you're a very sweet girl. Daniel deserves to be happy and being with you certainly seems to make him happy. I have no doubt that you will make a wonderful bride."

Sam blushed faintly. Embarrassed, she looked down at her feet for a moment. "Thank you," she repeated softly.

Before anything else could be said, Sara called out, "coffee's ready!" She asked that everyone congregate in the kitchen where said beverage was waiting along with cake.

* * *

Sam smiled at her friends just as she was about to open the last of her presents. She'd received a very nice, practical assortment of gifts so far. Some were quite heartfelt, including a small book Janet had given her. It had a translucent, light blue cover with an abstract, geometric dark blue shape resembling a dress. The word "Bride" was featured on the title page. Inside the front cover was a passage that read, "Your wedding is one of the most important events of your life. This little book will help you celebrate this special day." It contained quotes about love and marriage, including a French proverb, "true love is friendship set on fire." Sam's face lit up when she thought of her and Daniel and how appropriate it seemed.

"This is from me and Steven," Sarah smiled as she presented Sam with the last gift. It was square-shaped, about ten by twelve inches, and was wrapped in paper that was mostly white with soft pastel accents. Adorned to the front of the package, just above the card, was a piece of old lace wrapped with a blue, satin ribbon and topped with a shiny new penny – keeping in the "something old, something new" tradition.

Sam's little smile faded and she appeared serious as she removed the paper and the gift was revealed to her. It was a piece of parchment – papyrus, rather – that was housed in a mahogany frame. Writings much like the hieroglyphs she'd just studied with Daniel were inked clearly on the papyrus. Sam's eyes narrowed as she studied them and wished she knew what they said. Toward the bottom of the papyrus, written in English, was:

"Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson

August 31st, 1997"

Sam turned and looked at Sarah inquisitively.

The taller woman gave her an apologetic smile. "That's hieratic script, a shorthand form of hieroglyphs," she explained.

Sam nodded. "I wish Daniel was here right now to translate this," she said half-jokingly.

Sarah gave a soft half-chuckle. "It's an excerpt from an ancient Egyptian love poem." She proceeded to translate for Sam: "I will never leave you my darling. My only wish is to stay in your house and at your service. We will always be hand in hand, come and go together everywhere. You are my health; my life."

Sam sniffled and blinked rapidly to prevent any tears from being shed. She was clearly touched by the poem and by the fact that Sarah would offer her such a lovely, heartfelt gift. "I can't tell you how much this means," she said as she smiled at the redhead. "It's one of the sweetest gifts anyone has ever given to me. I'm positive that Daniel will cherish it as well. Thank you."

Sarah gathered her into a small hug. "You're more than welcome," she replied warmly, her voice muffled by the top of Sam's head. "May you and Daniel have many happy years together."

Sam stepped back, looked up at her, and smiled genuinely. She placed the plaque next to her on the couch amid most of the other gifts and turned her attention to Sara and Janet, who were in the middle of reminiscing over their days in high school.

* * *

"This really isn't necessary, Steven," Daniel said insistently as his friend guided him down the corridor to the Anthropology department's faculty lounge.

"Of course you would say that," Steven retorted. "Back at Chicago you wouldn't let us throw a party for you when you got your Masters degrees, but we did anyway. You wouldn't let us throw a party for you when you got your PhD in archaeology – we did anyway. And, you wouldn't let us throw a party for you when you got your PhD in linguistics …"

Daniel nodded wearily and rolled his eyes as Steven continued, "… We did anyway. And, you showed up for each and every one of them. You can argue all you want that those bashes weren't necessary, but there is no excuse for refusing a bachelor party. I mean, this is serious stuff!"

Daniel looked at him pointedly as they came to a stop just a few feet away from the faculty lounge. "And earning my degrees wasn't?" he asked.

Steven shook his head. "You know what I mean." His gaze shifted to the floor and he adopted a more humble stance. "Besides, as your friends, we really wanted to have a little something for you." He glanced tentatively back up at Daniel. "Who's to say that your wedding isn't one of the most – if not _the_ most – important events of your life? It's something that should be celebrated."

Daniel drew a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I know. You're right. It's just …"

"… That pesky overreaching humility of yours," Steven finished with a wry grin.

Daniel shrugged and gave him a slight smile.

"Come on – food and stuff is getting cold," Steven said as he returned the smile. "We've got some cake for later, too, and some beer on ice."

Daniel's smile was erased from his face as his expression turned fearful. "Beer?" he asked uneasily.

Steven chuckled, suddenly remembering an incident that took place while they were both graduate students. It involved Daniel having vast quantities of beer forced upon him. The consequences were amusing – amusing for everyone there but Daniel, that is. "Oh, yeah, how could I forget? I'm sure we have some Cokes back there so you won't feel left out."

"Thank you," Daniel said dryly.

The dark-haired man nodded and flashed him one more grin before he knocked quickly on the door to alert everyone of their presence. As Daniel followed Steven into the room, he heard the strains of world music and was met with people greeting him and offering congratulations along with warm smiles. He did a quick survey of the people inside and found all of his good friends and colleagues from the department. There was one older gentleman there whom Daniel couldn't quite place until he recognized an unmistakable scar on his right cheek. At this, the younger man's jaw dropped.

"Oh, my God," he murmured. "Dr. Jordan?" he asked in disbelief.

The man nodded and took a few steps forward. "It is good to see you, Daniel," he stated genially.

"But … this is … I mean … how did you …" Daniel trailed off as he fumbled for words.

Dr. Jordan laughed softly. "I've been here in town on business the past three days. I ran into Steven earlier today, he mentioned the wonderful news to me, and convinced me to pay a visit."

Daniel continued gaping at his old research advisor from Chicago, still at a loss for words. He noticed everyone's curious expressions and a shy smile soon found its way upon his face. He lowered his head and protectively wrapped his arms around himself. "You guys didn't have to do this, you know," he said quietly.

"Standard issue," Steven whispered as he leaned in toward one of the graduate students.

"But, thanks all the same," Daniel continued, not having heard Steven's quip. "This is one of the happiest times of my life, and –"

"No offense, Daniel, but let's save the speech for later. We have some hot food ready and waiting here," Dr. Robert Rothman cut in with a teasing grin.

Daniel blushed faintly and nodded. "Right," he said quietly with a crooked smile. He walked over to the long table inside the lounge, upon which a bounty of food from a local Mediterranean restaurant sat. Before deciding what he wanted, he glanced around quickly at the décor of the room. There were a couple of different colored "Congratulations" banners hastily hung on the walls, as well as several decorations that appeared to be balls-and-chains. He regarded them oddly.

Steven suddenly appeared at his side with a can of Coke and a plastic party cup that featured the same ball-and-chain motif. Steven grinned widely at Daniel as he waited for his reaction. Daniel merely poured the soda into his cup and then looked at Steven curiously. "What's with the whole ball-and-chain fixation?"

"Oh, that was Steven's idea," Rothman piped up.

"Figures," Daniel said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you went right along with it," Steven said defensively. "I thought it was appropriate for a celebration of Daniel's last few days of freedom!" He turned back to Daniel and chuckled somewhat sheepishly.

"Ha ha ha, gentlemen," Daniel deadpanned. "You really think that's funny, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Sam and I are in a totally mutual relationship. We wouldn't think of the other as a ball-and-chain in a million years." He folded his arms and regarded them sternly until one side of his mouth lifted up in a slightly crooked grin. "I actually feel bad for you two," he continued, addressing Steven and Robert. "Perhaps you're jealous or dissatisfied with the current state of your own relationships and have done this in attempt to make yourselves feel better." His eyes twinkled and he smiled evilly as he watched his friends' reactions.

"For Hathor's sake, Daniel, we were just joking around! Lighten up!" Steven scoffed.

"'For Hathor's sake'?" Daniel repeated, slightly amused at the sound of his friend's euphemism. He shook his head and then adopted a more conciliatory expression. "I know. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed by how fast things are going. I have a lot on my mind right now."

Steven looked at him thoughtfully. "I'll bet. So, how did the expedition with Kevin and Jennifer go?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"He didn't tell you?" Daniel asked curiously.

Steven shrugged. "He didn't really say much, other than it went well and he's satisfied with what he found …"

"It did go very well," Daniel suddenly interrupted excitedly. "Everything went according to plan and he's very happy about what we discovered there. That burial chamber is one huge treasure trove, Steven."

Steven gave him a protracted stare, just a bit surprised at how excited Daniel was suddenly getting. "It must be if it warranted another trip back there as soon as you arrived home," he finally said.

Daniel nodded. "Not only did it give us new insight into burial rituals of that period, but we found something really incredible – something that could …" He trailed off and abruptly shut his mouth, not wanting to go into detail just yet about what he and Sam were studying. He noticed the curious raised eyebrow Steven was giving him.

"Something that could what?" Steven asked as his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Something that could be _very_ interesting, but I have to see if it actually pans out," Daniel replied carefully. With that, he walked over to the garbage can and deposited his paper plate.

"Pans out?" Steven repeated incredulously. "_What _pans out?"

Daniel evaded him for the time being and joined in on a conversation that Dr. Edwin Kleinhuis was having with a few graduate students.

* * *

As the party drew to a close and everyone began dispersing, Daniel scowled slightly as he looked down at the few gifts he'd received: ball-and-chain cuff links and a set of mugs that featured ball-and-chain designs wrapped around the outside, with the chain attached to a pink heart inside the bottom of the cups. He snorted and pondered the likelihood of him and Sam selling them at a garage sale.

"Nice gifts," a voice interrupted as he felt someone pat him on the shoulder. He quickly looked up and found Ed Kleinhuis giving him a friendly smile.

Daniel gave him a sardonic smile in return and nodded. "Yeah, that's Steven for you," he said wearily. "It's a good thing he's such a good, old friend of mine, otherwise I wouldn't have asked him to be my best man," he quipped.

The older man laughed quietly. "I told him that he'd gone a little overboard. Oh well, it is the thought that counts, right?"

Daniel nodded reluctantly. "Right now, I'm trying to imagine what Sam will think when she sees these."

Ed chuckled before reaching over to give the younger man a hearty handshake. "Congratulations again, Daniel," he said.

"Thank you," Daniel said softly. After saying goodbye to the other Doctor, he made his way out of the room and looked thoughtfully down at his gifts. He couldn't help chuckling when he thought about how Sam would react to the ball-and-chain theme. He was sure she would have some objection to the idea, just as he did.

He also thought back to his conversation with Steven and how he almost told him about their discovery. It instantly brought back some feelings of guilt for being apart from her for so long, as well as nearly demanding that she come with him back to Egypt. Quite a few days had gone by since then, but he was still ashamed over the petty argument that they had. As he made his way out of the building and toward the parking lot, he decided to rectify the situation.

* * *

Sam sighed as she started up her car and pulled away from Sara's house. It had been a lovely day and the bridal shower had been a pleasant surprise. She certainly hadn't been expecting one, or much of one, as everything was on such short notice. The fact that her sister-in-law and good friends from school came all this way to be with her was really touching.

A faint smile formed on her face as she thought back to her conversation with Sara after the guests had all dispersed. She asked her best friend if she would be her maid of honor. Sara was deeply touched but also a bit skeptical, wondering how Sam can have all of this in a small chapel. Sam assured her that she and Daniel had talked about it with the minister who presided there. They'd concluded that, with the small number of guests they were having, it would be possible. She also told Sara that, yes, they wanted to have it done quickly, but still wanted to retain some traditional aspects.

After a final run down of what the wedding was going to consist of and a final congratulatory hug, Sam was outside and loading her car up with the gifts. She had asked Janet, Jill, and Lori to be her bridesmaids and they had all accepted. She smiled to herself, pleased that things were turning out well.

As she neared her house, she realized that Daniel had already returned home, as was evident from his car parked along the curb. She pulled up in her driveway, opened her trunk, and gathered up the large shopping bags that contained her gifts. As she made her way up the front walk, her brow knitted in confusion when she realized all the lights were out. If Daniel was home, the living room light should have been on at least. Was he already in bed? Sam quickly checked her watch and realized it was only 8:30 PM.

She dug her key out of her purse and fumbled for a moment with the lock. "Daniel, I'm back!" she called out as she put her hand on the doorknob and swung the door open. She stepped into the foyer and shut the door behind her. She looked around and her eyebrows drew together as she studied the scene in front of her.

The room was pitch black and Daniel was nowhere to be found.


	30. Chapter 30 Scenes from a Wedding Part 1

Chapter 30

Sam frowned as she slowly made her way through the darkened living room and toward the dining room. It seemed as though the house was completely deserted. She discovered a tiny source of light from the kitchen, but discovered it was the small nightlight that she usually kept on in there during the evening. She entered the room and flipped the switch for the overhead light. The kitchen was spotless, the same as it had been when she'd left it earlier.

She headed for the stove with the intention of making herself a cup of tea. Just before the water was brought to a boil, she stuck her head out the door and called out, "Daniel, I'm making some tea. Do you want any?"

She was greeted with silence once again. _Where the hell is he_, she began to think, frustrated. Once the water had come to a boil, she poured it in a mug and dipped an Orange Pekoe tea bag inside. Waiting for it to cool, she took a seat at the small table. She was about to take her first sip when she nearly dropped the mug and her eyes widened.

Sitting in the middle of the table was a gold, rectangular-shaped box adorned with a black satin ribbon and the words "Ghiardelli Fine Chocolates." Sam's eyebrows drew together and she wondered why she had missed seeing it when she first entered the kitchen. She noticed a small, folded tag on top and opened it up. It read, "To: Samantha; From: Your Best Friend."

She regarded the message curiously for a moment before she realized that she and Daniel had always thought of each other as best friends. A wide smile formed on her face and she chuckled fondly. So, Daniel had bought her a box of chocolates – a fairly expensive box of chocolates at that. She thought it was sweet, but not very necessary. They were getting married and his gift of love for her was the only gift she expected.

She finished her cup of tea and was about to exit the room when she noticed a pair of mugs that featured ball and chain designs. She looked at them oddly, wondering why he would have bought something like this. She didn't think that type of humor appealed to him. She shrugged, thinking that maybe it was a gift.

As she crossed the threshold of the kitchen and stepped into the hallway, she began wondering again where Daniel was. She thought he could be in the shower, but there was no sound of water running. She still didn't think he would be in bed already, unless he had had a long day and was absolutely exhausted. She gingerly crept toward her bedroom, half expecting to find him collapsed on top of the bed.

She flipped the light switch and sighed upon discovering that she was wrong. What she didn't expect to find however was a small, felt-covered box sitting next to a small card on the bed. She curiously opened up the card and swallowed hard as she read its neatly printed contents:

"The design is an ancient Celtic symbol of love. I saw these and thought they would be perfect for you. I hope you love them as much as I love you."

Without hesitation, Sam opened the small box to reveal a pair of dainty earrings that featured a Celtic knot design and were inlaid with small diamonds. Her jaw dropped when she first laid eyes upon them, thinking they were perhaps the most beautiful pieces of jewelry she'd ever seen. She carefully removed them from the box and headed over to the mirror. She held them against her ear lobes and her reflection confirmed that they were absolutely gorgeous and that she loved them.

She secured them back in the box, flipped off the light switch, and headed back down the hallway. There was still no sign of Daniel anywhere, although Sam thought she heard a faint rustling noise coming from her home office as she padded further down the hall. She quickly looked back and realized that the office door was shut. She was debating whether to go back there and see what was going on when she decided that she'd better get some more light in the place, especially in the living room.

She switched on a lamp on one of her end tables and was about to head back out of the room when something else caught her eye. Her eyes widened and she drew in a quick breath as she noticed a somewhat large, crystal vase with a dozen long-stemmed roses sitting on her coffee table. She edged closer to them, knelt down, and found that there were more than a dozen roses in the vase. There were twelve red roses and two white roses, adding up to fourteen.

Sam took a deep breath and breathed in their sweet perfume. She blinked a few tears when she noticed yet another card sitting next to the vase. Inside was the familiar handwriting, only this time it simply said, "I'm sorry."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. He was sorry? Sorry for having lavished so many gifts upon her or sorry for a completely different reason, one that was not made apparent to her? She glanced back down at the flowers and muttered in disbelief, "Fourteen roses?"

"Fourteen roses for the first fourteen days we were apart," said a quiet voice directly behind her. Sam turned and found Daniel standing at the edge of the room, watching her with affection and something that slightly resembled guilt in his eyes. She rose to her feet and made her way up to him.

"The chocolates are for the fifteenth day and the earrings were for the sixteenth day," he continued as he looked into her eyes. A shy smile made its way onto his face. "By the way, I hope you liked them."

Sam's confused expression melted and was briefly replaced by a bright smile. "I love them, Daniel," she stated softly. "But, why? Why did you do this?"

Daniel briefly looked away and stuffed his hands into his pockets, apparently not prepared to offer her an explanation. "Steven and some of my friends from Anthropology threw a bachelor party for me. Steven asked me how things went on that expedition with my students. It reminded me again of how long I was gone and how much I missed you. It also reminded me of that little fight we had when I got back and how wrong I was. I am so sorry, Sam. I'm sorry you had to do all this alone," he said, referring to the wedding plans she'd made while he was away.

"It's okay," she sniffled as he pulled her into his arms and held her. "My words and actions didn't exactly get me off the hook either." The memory of her going behind his back to speak with his parents briefly flashed inside her, but she quickly let go of it. She looked up into his eyes and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. "I feel as if I don't deserve all these wonderful gifts, but it's still really sweet of you – giving me gifts to represent the sixteen days we were apart."

Daniel gave her a sweet smile before his eyes widened in realization. "Actually, it was seventeen days, so there's one more. I'll be right back," he said as he made his way toward the front door and outside.

Sam grinned and shook her head once he was out of the house. She couldn't believe he had done this. Was he really feeling so guilty over leaving her that he had to shower her with gifts? Admittedly, he did seem very remorseful over their argument, but she thought he had already atoned for that. In the end, she decided that he was just a very sweet man who loved her a great deal and didn't mind showing that love through gifts.

"Okay, girl, here we are," Daniel's voice coaxed softly outside her door. Sam fixed the door with an odd look and lifted an eyebrow. Who was he talking to? Was it another woman? Sam silently berated herself for such a silly thought and shook her head.

The door opened slowly and Daniel entered, carrying a bundle of something in his arms. As he pushed the door shut behind him with his foot and made his way closer to Sam, she realized that he was carrying a puppy. Her eyes widened and a surprised expression spread across her face.

A faint blush colored Daniel's cheeks and he was smiling shyly. In his arms was a female beagle puppy with the cutest face she'd ever seen. "I remembered, back when we first met, how you said that you're a dog person," he said.

She laughed softly at his comment for a moment. Yes, he was incredibly thoughtful. They took a seat on the couch and he handed the puppy to her. It whimpered softly as Sam scooped it up in her arms. Sam looked down at the puppy and beamed. "She's adorable," she said proudly. As if in approval, the young canine licked her sloppily on the cheek, prompting laughter from Sam.

Daniel chuckled affectionately as he watched Sam bond with the adorable dog. "She's a hound, too, so she may prove valuable to us on excavations," he said jokingly.

Sam grinned at him and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "You are quite a man, Daniel Jackson," she said coyly.

"And you are quite a woman, Samantha Carter Jackson," he returned.

Sam let a quiet girlish giggle escape her throat in reaction to his reply. It became louder as the puppy licked her on the cheek once again and then leaned forward to lick Daniel on the face as well, knocking his glasses crooked upon his face.

"I think she likes us," he said as he repositioned his glasses and brushed his hair out of his face. "Your neighbor, Mrs. Dibley, took her until you came back home, in case you're wondering. She's a real dog person too and she said she would take care of her for us while we're on our honeymoon."

Sam smiled and nodded as thoughts of her and Daniel on their honeymoon began to distract her. She still had no idea where they were going and Daniel didn't seem very intent on telling her. She was pulled away from her thoughts by Daniel's voice once again.

"So, what should we name her?" he asked.

Sam furrowed her brow as she thought for a moment before a name suddenly popped into her head. "Diana," she exclaimed.

"Diana?" Daniel repeated curiously.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Isn't that a Roman goddess?"

Daniel's eyes gleamed in understanding. "Yes, she was the Roman goddess of fertility, hunting, and the moon." He paused and a small smile graced his lips. "Actually, it's very appropriate." He looked down at the puppy and his smile widened. "Diana," he addressed her.

He was met with another sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, she likes it," he grinned as he turned to Sam. Sam shook her head and snickered.

* * *

Daniel stopped to wipe his sweaty palms on the legs of his tuxedo before resuming his nervous pacing of the living room floor. The last few days before the wedding had come and gone much too quickly. In that time, Daniel had confirmed the reservations for the honeymoon and there had been a rehearsal for the wedding down at the chapel. Jacob had arrived the day before the rehearsal, causing Sam to hurry in order to straighten up the guest room for him.

Daniel couldn't believe how nervous he was. The rehearsal had taken place yesterday and everything had gone practically without a hitch. Why, then, did he have a reason to be so nervous? Everything had seemed rushed that morning – breakfast, the quick visit to the barbershop, donning his tux, and making sure everything was in place. Steven and Robert had shown up shortly after that, as they were going to be in the wedding party. Now they were waiting for Jacob to return from an impromptu meeting he had at Peterson Air Force Base, as well as the limousine to take them to the chapel.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Steven observed.

Daniel stopped long enough to give him a rueful look. "I can't help it," he said quietly. "I'm so nervous, Steven. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous."

"At your doctoral defense?" Steven offered.

Daniel stared at him blankly. "Which one?"

"Take your pick," Steven chuckled.

Daniel gave him a crooked, sardonic grin. "This has all been like a big whirlwind," he admitted as his smile faded.

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Steven blurted out.

Daniel fixed him with an incredulous expression. "No, of course not!" he said, almost taken aback. "I know I haven't known Sam very long, relatively speaking, but I know this is right. We both know this is right. We have no need to give it a second thought."

Steven nodded and smiled faintly. His smile turned into a grin as he suddenly looked Daniel over. "You call that a haircut?"

At this, Daniel looked up at him curiously. "What?"

"Please don't tell me you call that a haircut," Steven continued with a hint of teasing in his voice.

Daniel rolled his eyes briefly in frustration. "I only asked for a trim."

Steven's eyebrows went up. "Trim what, a nanometer off the top and a micrometer off the sides and back? You look exactly the same!"

Daniel merely shrugged.

"You're never going to shed that long hair, are you?" Steven said, amused.

The question earned a scowl from Daniel. "Speak for yourself," he said as he nodded at Steven, gesturing subtly at his somewhat long – though not as long as Daniel's – hair.

"First of all, my hair isn't anywhere near as long as yours, and second of all, it's wavy so a little length is okay," Steven said in a mock defensive tone.

Daniel sighed, frustrated. "Look, I like it. Sam likes it. Good enough?" he asked curtly.

Steven looked at him for a moment before he shrugged, resigned, and uttered a low chuckle. "Whatever."

Before any more could be said, there was an urgent knock at the door. Daniel stopped dead in his tracks and felt his nervousness growing. He slowly made his way up to the door and sighed in relief when he found Jacob Carter standing on the other side. He was dressed in his uniform and was wearing an apologetic expression.

"It's about time you got here, Jacob," Daniel exclaimed, instantly regretting his snappy tone.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel," the older man replied. "The meeting went a few minutes overtime and I ran into some traffic on the way back here."

"Traffic? On a Sunday?" Daniel asked in disbelief.

Jacob shook his head wearily. "I know. I couldn't understand it myself. What can I say … I'm sorry."

Daniel instantly felt ashamed of the way he was talking and he sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Jacob. I didn't mean to get angry or anything. This whole thing just has me very nervous." He stepped aside to allow Jacob entrance and then shut the door behind him.

Jacob looked at the young, shaggy-haired man and chuckled sympathetically. "It's okay, Danny. I know exactly what you're going through and I don't blame you at all."

Daniel's pensive expression melted into a slight smile. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Jacob smiled back and patted him on the arm. Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell pierced the room and caused Daniel to slightly jump.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked with a sympathetic chuckle.

Daniel's cheeks flushed and he nodded, embarrassed.

"Our ride's here!" Robert declared in his fairly nasal tone as he pulled the door open and witnessed the black Lincoln Town Car parked in front of the curb behind Daniel's car.

Daniel sighed and smiled nervously as he led the way outside Sam's house.

* * *

They were about three blocks from Sam's house when Jacob noticed that Daniel had quit glancing out the window and was now leaning back with his eyes shut, taking slow, deep breaths. He reached out to the young man seated across from him and touched his arm gently. "Daniel?"

Daniel's eyes suddenly flew open and he noticed Jacob staring at him, his brow furrowed in confusion and concern reflected in his eyes. Daniel looked at him curiously.

"Are you all right?" Jacob asked.

Daniel studied his face for a moment and then nodded. "I guess," he said softly.

Jacob regarded him sympathetically. "Look, I know you can't help being nervous," he said softly. "But, don't let it eat you up inside. I was the same way when I married Sam's mother." A wistful look appeared in his eyes and they appeared to glisten with unshed tears. "You worry about what could possibly go wrong, you worry that things might be happening too fast, and you worry about whether your bride might actually be having second thoughts. It's perfectly normal. Just think about how things will be when it's all over. You and Sam will be all alone and spending your first moments together as a married couple. You won't have to worry about ever going through anything like this again." He smiled fondly at the brown-haired, bespectacled younger man.

Daniel felt his anxiety ebbing away for just a moment and a grateful smile spread across his face. "Thank you," he said.

Jacob nodded and his smile grew wider as the simple words Daniel spoke seemed to say much more. They finally reached the small, white, Victorian-style building that was the chapel and parked behind another black Town Car. Daniel realized that Sam and her group must have arrived already. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he exited the limo. "Here we go," he said quietly to himself as he headed for the door of the chapel.


	31. Chapter 31 Scenes from a Wedding Part 2

Chapter 31

Sam was situated in a small room off to the left of the main room of the chapel along with Sara, Jill, Janet, Lori, and Mark and Lori's seven-year-old daughter, Anna, who was going to be the flower girl. She was standing and looking herself over in a large, full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Her wedding dress was long and flowing, and hugged her upper body so well as to accentuate her curves. It featured a lacy neckline that was neither too high nor too low, short sleeves, and a long, detachable train. Janet was something of a hairdresser and had managed to gather Sam's short hair into a respectable French Twist. The bridesmaid's dresses were a soft blue and were equally beautiful.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Sam asked as she tried adjusting the headpiece of her short veil.

"Sam, please, it's fine," Janet assured her. "You look gorgeous."

"I do?" Sam asked her timidly. "This is all happening so fast, I feel like something's just not quite right."

"Everything is fine, nothing is out of place, and you are gorgeous," Sara chimed in. She looked down at the flower girl and smiled. "Isn't she, Anna?"

The little brunette smiled and nodded. "Uh-huh!" she exclaimed.

Sam blushed and smiled broadly at the little girl. "Thank you, Annie," she said affectionately. She bent down and smoothed her niece's long hair back and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, causing the little girl to beam. Sam took a seat and propped her elbows up on a small dressing table.

Sarah Gardner suddenly poked her head inside. "How is everything going in there?" she asked.

"Just fine, apart from one slightly anxious bride-to-be," Sara joked.

Sarah chuckled softly. "Looks like the men have just arrived."

At this, Sam's ears perked up and her eyes widened. "The men?" she parroted.

Sarah nodded. "Yes. Steven, Robert, Daniel … oh, and your Dad," she finished with a slight smile.

Sam began wringing her hands nervously and finally rose to her feet. As she was about to cross the room, Sara crossed in front of her and grabbed Sam's arm, effectively stopping her. "Whoa, girl, where are you going?"

"Daniel's here. I … I just wanted to take a quick peek and see what was …" she trailed off, her tone making her sound like a guilty child.

Sara grinned, seemingly amused, and shook her head. "Sam, you know the tradition. The bride and groom aren't supposed to see each other before the wedding," she chastised.

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed. "I know, I know," she reluctantly conceded. She went back to the dressing table and sat back down on the chair. She removed a tissue from the box on the corner of the table and began to twist it between her hands.

Janet looked at her sympathetically and made her way up to her anxious friend. "Sam, are you okay?"

Sam looked shamefully down at the mutilated tissue in her hands and sighed heavily. She looked up at Janet. "I … I don't know. Everything was happening so fast, and now it seems like it's just dragging – like I can't wait to get it over with. The more everything drags, the more nervous it makes me. When are they starting? It has to be …" she stopped as she looked down at her dress watch and realized it was still only a few minutes to ten.

Janet's lips edged upward in a faint smile. "It's normal to feel that way, Sam," she said. "I was the same way when I married Robert. On our wedding day, I arrived at the church before he and his group did. The wedding was supposed to take place at eleven and I was still sitting there at a quarter to twelve, wondering what happened. I was starting to worry that he got cold feet," she recounted grimly. "Luckily it turned out that the limousine picking them up was late and it blew a tire on the way to the church. You can imagine what a bundle of nerves I was. At least your groom is here on time." She finished with a slightly sardonic grin.

Sam uttered a short, nervous laugh before Janet continued, "I haven't met a bride who didn't have butterflies in her stomach before the ceremony took place. It's something we all go through. And, if you're this nervous, I can imagine that Daniel is just as nervous, maybe even more. You'll be fine. And after this is all over, the butterflies will be gone and you'll have him all to yourself."

Sam blinked rapidly to prevent tears from falling as she smiled at her good friend. She rose from her chair and pulled Janet into a hug. "Thanks, Janet," she replied softly.

She stepped back and noticed that Sara had made her way up to Sam as well. "You'll be fine. I won't even get into what I was feeling right before I married Jack, as we only have so much time before the ceremony starts," she joked. "Just remember, we all love you and couldn't be happier for you."

Sam smiled and mouthed, "Thanks." At that moment, one of the employees at the chapel stuck his head inside. "Ladies, it's time for the ceremony to begin," he informed them.

Sam drew in a deep breath, grabbed her bouquet, and steeled herself as the flower girl was ushered out of the room, followed by her bridesmaids. "Here we go," she said silently.

* * *

Daniel stood and waited nervously alongside Steven and Robert Rothman down the aisle of the chapel as he heard the organ begin playing the traditional wedding march. He looked around and realized that the chapel was indeed larger than he'd originally realized. He scanned the small pews, looking for recognizable faces. On Sam's side was an older gentleman whom he assumed, due to his resemblance to Jacob, was her uncle Irving. Seated next to him was Sam's brother Mark with his young son David. Then there were a few of her colleagues from her department at the college, Sara's mother, her sisters, and Jack. Daniel had seen Jack just moments earlier and had exchanged amiable words with him. He was far from his joking, adolescent manner and he actually congratulated Daniel and commented on how good he looked in the tux. Daniel was very appreciative of the fact, as he was still quite nervous and thought any ridiculous teasing would set him off.

On his side, he spotted Sarah, Ed Kleinhuis and his wife Mildred, Robert Rothman's wife Iris, and several other familiar faces from the Anthropological Sciences department. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly noticed another couple making their way inside, briefly speaking with an usher, and taking a seat in the back on his side of the aisle. Daniel squinted as he tried to figure out who they were. He seemed to be successful, as his mouth dropped open and he made a slight strangled sound.

Could it really be them? Was he so stressed out that his eyes were playing tricks on him? Sure, they appeared many years older and were wearing a style of clothes he'd almost never seen them in, but their faces were unmistakable and he knew it was them. What on Earth would they be doing here? He thought they had written him out of their lives long ago. Sam seemed intent on helping him mend the rift between them, but he had insisted her not to bother and she backed down. What, then, were they doing at his wedding in Colorado?

Before he could agonize over it any further, he felt a tap on his arm. He turned around and found Steven smiling at him. "There's your bride," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

With that, Daniel turned from the direction of the pews on the right side to the back of the chapel. His expression changed little as he witnessed his beautiful bride emerging from the small room to the left and making her way up to her father. Her dress was gorgeous, her face was gorgeous, her hair was gorgeous … _she_ was gorgeous. He knew he was one lucky man.

* * *

Sam took a quick look down the aisle and, although Daniel was quite far away, she knew he was there and it quelled her anxiety just a bit. She turned to her right and found her father, donned in his dress blues and smiling proudly at her.

"Dad," she smiled shyly.

"You look beautiful, kid," he told her affectionately. He chuckled softly upon witnessing the faint blush that colored her cheeks. "I never thought I would live to see this day. I love you and I'm so proud of you. And I know your Mom is proud of you, too." His voice became uneven and he sniffled as he leaned over and gave her a small hug.

As they parted, she looked up at him and gave him a watery smile. "Thanks, Dad. I love you, too," she said as her voice wavered.

The two Carters reined in their overwhelming emotions and Jacob took hold of Sam's arm as they walked in a slow, steady gait. Once she reached Daniel, Jacob stepped aside and the young couple was reunited. Sam glanced quickly at Daniel and felt her heart leap up into her throat. She didn't think he could look any more handsome. He was dressed in a sleek, black tux, and his long, shaggy (though neatly combed) hair hung over the top half of the collar. She tried to bite back her instincts and urges until after the ceremony was over.

Every so often, Daniel himself would glance over at Sam when he thought she wasn't looking. He couldn't help admitting that he was nearly overwhelmed by her beauty. He'd always thought she was very pretty, but now she seemed radiant. He didn't know if it was makeup or a natural glow that made her face shine like this. The fact that the dress and her hair suited her nicely certainly helped. Daniel still couldn't help feeling a little bit distracted after witnessing the very familiar-looking couple seating themselves, but he knew he had to remain disciplined and get through the ceremony.

They glanced quickly at each other and gave each other's hands a little squeeze as they turned to the minister and the music faded. The minister smiled warmly at them both before leading them through their vows.

* * *

"And do you, Samantha Carter, take Daniel Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

Sam looked into Daniel's eyes and found a hint of unease in them. A little smile slowly made its way onto her face as she confidently stated, "I do."

The unease left Daniel's eyes and breathed a tiny sigh of relief. A tender smile formed on his face as the minister continued, "By the power vested in me, by the state of Colorado, I now pronounce you man and wife." He turned and smiled lovingly at the new couple. "You may kiss the bride."

Sam and Daniel looked at each other for a moment. Her eyes bored into his before she threw her arms around him and they engaged in a slow, passionate kiss. The sound of music, applause, and cheers filled the air as they professed their undying love for each other.

After their display of deep affection, the announcement came that the reception followed out in the back of the chapel. As everyone began making their way out the back doors, a few people came up to Sam and Daniel to congratulate them, but Daniel's eyes sought out the familiar-looking couple. He cursed to himself upon not finding them anywhere and thinking that it was most likely a hallucination. He took Sam by the hand and led her out the back of the chapel. His assumption was incorrect, as he found them standing off to the side, appearing aloof as they sipped from glasses of punch and looked warily at the other guests.

Sam looked around the area in which she now found herself. The back yard was even more gorgeous than she imagined. In front of the patio some distance away was a small creek with a bridge going across it. On either side of the bridge, the water spilled down and culminated in small waterfalls. There were also several stone fountains. Perhaps the best part of all was the breathtaking view of Pikes Peak. She beamed happily, glad that they'd picked this chapel.

She looked at Daniel and her smile faded when she noticed the uneasy look on his face. "Daniel? What is it?"

"My parents are here," he said in the smallest voice Sam ever heard.

"What?" she asked, not sure if she heard him right.

Daniel pointed to the familiar looking couple, who were now chatting with Steven Rayner and Ed Kleinhuis. Sam's gaze fell upon them and her jaw dropped. "Oh, my God," she whispered as she clamped her hand over her mouth. She felt warmth coming back into her cheeks.

Suddenly, for a split second, Daniel locked eyes with his parents. Sam felt a small fear grow deep within her as she wondered what would happen next. She witnessed Daniel's parents slowly making their way up to her and Daniel and she looked away, embarrassed.

Daniel looked at them for a moment, a hundred questions suddenly bringing themselves to the forefront, but still leaving him unsure of what to say. "Hello," he said simply, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

Claire and Melburn looked at him, feeling just as awkward as he did. "Hello, Son," Mel finally said.

"Hello, Danny," Claire chimed in, a slightly awkward smile making its way onto her face.

"You're looking well," Daniel said, trying to keep his expression neutral as well.

"You, too," Mel replied. "You haven't changed a bit."

"You even wear your hair the same," Claire added fondly, but still sounding a bit awkward.

For what seemed like an eternity, Daniel and his parents stared at each other. The three of them seemed to be a little uncomfortable with the way they were masking their feelings. As their eyes penetrated, unspoken questions and confessions were being shared. Then, without warning, Mel stepped forward and embraced Daniel fiercely. Sam looked on curiously and thought she saw Daniel trembling just a bit inside his father's embrace, as if the emotional wall finally crumbled.

"I'm proud of you, Son," Mel's voice wavered. He reluctantly let his son go before his mother enveloped him in a hug. "Oh, my Danny," she said, sniffling. Daniel echoed her sniffling just before she let him go.

Sam grinned affectionately as she watched the three Jacksons straighten up and try to keep their emotions in check. Finally, Daniel spoke, "What are you doing here? I mean, how did you …"

"We never would have missed your wedding, Daniel," Mel said frankly. He turned and smiled at Sam. "Your beautiful bride paid us a visit to … let us know what you were up to." He blushed and his expression became uncomfortable for a moment. "She convinced us to stop acting so pigheaded and be the kind of parents we once were to you."

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion and he looked pointedly at Sam. Sam's blush deepened and she fixed him with a chastened expression. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I know you didn't want me getting involved, but I just couldn't …"

"There's no need for you to apologize, dear," Claire interrupted. "I missed out on so much of Daniel's life and I didn't want to miss out on too much more." She smiled tenderly at her son.

Daniel's agitated expression melted and he turned to Sam. "Yeah," he conceded as he regarded his new bride with a faint smile and squeezed her arm.

"Can you ever forgive us for cutting you out of our lives over something so ridiculous?" Mel asked Daniel seriously. "As long as you're happy in what you do, we'll always be proud of you."

Daniel studied his father's face and smiled upon finding true sincerity in it. "I really appreciate that. We have a lot of work to do in order to put things back to the way they were before."

His parents nodded. "We know," his father said quietly. "I hope we can start now."

Daniel nodded back and smiled. "Sure, why not?" he said before embracing them again. Sam looked on and smiled proudly, glad that she was able to bring some happiness back to Daniel where it was lacking.

* * *

It was now close to noon and the reception was about to come to an end. Sam reviewed the events that had taken place over the past hour or so. Before the cake was served, the photographer took the "official wedding photos" of Sam and Daniel alone as well as those of them with the wedding party. As they were having cake, the toast to the bride began as Jacob recounted stories of Sam from her childhood, most sweet and some slightly embarrassing. Luckily, Jacob let Sam off easy as far as that was concerned. The only thing that Sam regretted was that, although there was soft music in the background, there was no dancing, so she and Daniel didn't get to have their slow dance. She hoped they would get to have one eventually.

As Sam and Daniel began to make their way around to the front of the chapel, they ran into Ed and Mildred Kleinhuis. "Do you two have any idea where Steven and Robert are?" Ed asked Daniel curiously.

"They mentioned that they had to leave a bit early, but I'm not sure what for," Daniel replied.

Suddenly, Sarah appeared on their left. "They took my car," she interjected.

"Ah, why?" Daniel asked as his brows drew together.

An impish grin made its way onto Sarah's face. "I'm not going to tell you," she said as she turned and led Mildred and Ed over to their car.

"I don't like the sound of that," Daniel said grimly as he looked at Sam with a wary expression. Sam couldn't help but chuckle.

After receiving more congratulations and hugs from their guests, they headed over to the limousines where Jacob was waiting with a smile. "Come on, you two. It's time to head back home."

Sam and Daniel rode in one car while Jacob rode with Sarah, as well as the other members of the wedding party, back to Sam's house. Once they neared the familiar one-story structure, Daniel did a double take when he got an eyeful of the not-so-familiar-looking vehicle that was also parked out in front.

"What's that?" Sam asked curiously.

"That's my car," Daniel said warily. "I think," he added.

As they climbed out of the car, Daniel noticed that his once-blue Pontiac appeared like a victim of Halloween Night vandalism. The windows were festooned with multi-colored, silk lei, and the windows were soaped up to reveal such phrases as "Just Married," "Do Not Disturb," and "The Doctors are in." Tied to the back bumper were the customary tin cans, as well what appeared to be wooden beetles. Steven and Robert stood in front of the car and gestured toward it as if they were car salesmen.

"Oh, Rayner, Rothman, what have you done?" Daniel said as he sighed in a deep, melodramatic way.

His reaction earned a snigger from his two friends. "Hey, come on, you didn't think we'd let you get away without this age-old wedding tradition, did you?" Steven said.

Daniel rolled his eyes and Sam shook her head. Her eyes drifted down to the bumper once again. "What's with the beetles?" she asked.

"Oh, uh … that's a scarab," Robert replied. "It's an ancient Egyptian symbol for good luck. Figured a little luck couldn't hurt you guys as you make your way to … uh … wherever you're going," he trailed off awkwardly.

Daniel turned and smiled at Sam, ready to finally tell her where they were going. "Belize," he said.

Sam's eyes widened and she regarded Daniel seriously.

"Don't worry; they speak English down there, at least at the hotel. And I know enough Spanish for us to get by," he assured her. With that she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She laughed nervously as Daniel scooped her up and carried her up the front walk.

"Come on, honey, we have a lot to do before we embark on the journey celebrating the beginning of our life together," he stated coyly. His statement earned a broad smile from Sam and two pairs of rolling eyes from his friends.


	32. Chapter 32 Wedded Bliss Part 1

Chapter 32

A/N: For the version with song lyrics, please see this chapter on my website (URL is on my profile page).

Sam glanced absent-mindedly down at the magazine that she'd removed from the back of the seat in front of her. It was a travel magazine put out by the airline and it featured a variety of articles on different travel destinations. Unfortunately, Belize was not among them. She hoped to read up a bit on the area where they'd be spending their honeymoon so that she would have an idea of what to expect. Granted, Daniel had one of those Fodor's travel guides on the Central American country, but it was stashed away in his carry-on bag and she didn't feel like reaching across him for it.

As she turned to her left and glanced at the window, curiosity got the better of her and she lifted the shade less than halfway up. The sight that greeted her made her smile: a few puffy clouds ahead, with gorgeous azure water just below. This confirmed to her that they were close to their destination. She turned from the window and her contentment grew upon witnessing Daniel resting against her, dozing peacefully with his head on her shoulder. She reached up to stroke his soft, shaggy hair and then his left cheek. Although he seemed dead to the world, his lips edged faintly upward, as if in response to her touch.

Sam chuckled affectionately as she took in his serene expression. She leaned her head back and sighed happily as she went over the preceding events of the day in her mind. Both the wedding and the reception had gone off without a hitch. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves for such an impromptu ceremony. Her smile faded somewhat and she felt tears beginning to sting her eyes when she recalled Daniel's reunion with his parents. It hadn't been as much of a shock to her as it was to Daniel; she had been cautiously optimistic after speaking with his mother in the museum. However, Daniel's father seemed to have a bit of a stubborn streak in him and she wasn't absolutely certain that Claire could convince him.

After they had returned home from the wedding and before leaving for the airport, Daniel had once again expressed his outright surprise in seeing them. Sam was a bit embarrassed and perhaps chastened, as she knew he didn't want her interfering. She dropped it after he assured her that he was extremely grateful. His words were brief, but they seemed to convey so much, as did the embrace and the soft kiss.

She glanced once more at Daniel and chuckled as she remembered Daniel's enthusiasm when he gave her some background information on Belize just before they left. He told her, in brief, about how the small country was the center of Mayan civilization. He mentioned some of the ruins and how he'd love to get a chance to visit them. Sam expressed some interest as well, but, as long as their hotel wasn't in the middle of the jungle and featured a sandy beach, she was happy. He had vaguely told her that she had nothing to worry about, while skipping over any details about the hotel. It was as if he wanted to keep it a surprise.

Not much time had passed when Sam heard the landing gear beginning to be lowered and the captain's voice announce their arrival in Belize. A blissful smile found its way onto her face as he rattled off the current weather conditions: partly cloudy skies, a temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, and a slight breeze. As it was announced for people to put their seats back in their upright positions, Sam turned and noticed that Daniel's seat was slightly reclined. She hated to disturb him from his peaceful slumber, but she nudged him softly.

"Daniel," she said quietly as she leaned into him.

She smiled when he began to stir. He lifted his head just inches off of her shoulder, rubbed his eyes, and regarded her groggily. "What?"

"We're here," she replied.

He straightened up completely and winced a bit as he felt his ears pop. He reached for his glasses and secured them back onto his face before returning his seat to the fully upright position. "Already?" he asked her. "That didn't take too long."

Sam snickered. "Said the man who spent the better part of the flight asleep," she teased affectionately.

Daniel blushed and gave her a small, sheepish smile. "Sorry," he said. "I guess all the excitement from before just knocked me out."

Sam smiled affectionately at him and then gestured to the window. Daniel leaned over her and peered out. His lips lifted into a faint smile upon witnessing the lush, inviting scenery before them.

* * *

"I can't wait to see this hotel," Sam smiled as their bus pulled away from the airport. "You haven't said two words about it to me at all … just something about it coming with a beach."

"Is it so wrong that I want to surprise you?" he asked her innocently.

Sam looked briefly down at her hands and smiled shyly as she looked back up at Daniel. "No, I guess not. But, the suspense is killing me. Can't you at least give me a hint as to what it looks like?"

"It's a hotel. It has a sandy beach, a pool, and a restaurant – I think," he supplied rather unhelpfully.

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head wearily. She noticed his blue eyes sparkling and a slight teasing grin peeking out from under his relatively placid façade and she swatted him playfully, nearly knocking his glasses off his face.

"Hey," he retorted, scowling at her as he readjusted them.

"Well, you won't be straight with me," she said, almost in defense of her actions.

"That doesn't mean that you have to go and _attack _me," he said in mock exasperation.

She conceded and laughed softly before planting a small kiss on his cheek. "Sorry."

He gave her a quick smile and was about to kiss her back when the bus driver called out the name of their hotel, prompting Daniel to edge up off the seat and gesture for her to do the same. "Come on, that's ours," he told her.

She grinned and shook her head amusedly as she followed him off of the bus. Once the bus had driven away, she stood on the edge of the sandy road and her mouth gaped open upon viewing their hotel for the first time.

The Rum Runner Inn sat on a wide point that was surrounded by the waters of the Caribbean Sea and dotted with many palm trees. It was a whitewashed, traditional Caribbean colonial structure that was not the least bit imposing and was surrounded by lush, colorful gardens. From this vantage point, Sam was able to see a pool with a swim-up bar adjacent to the right side of the lodge. There was also a large colonial-style verandah wrapped around the building, which could undoubtedly provide lovely views and cooling breezes.

Although the hotel itself wasn't very large, the grounds seemed to be enormous. Sam realized that it was possible to take self-guided tours, as she saw a few different signs for nature trails. It seemed that the gardens on the premises were a habitat for many different birds as well as local mammals, reptiles, and the like. Exploring these trails was something she certainly wouldn't mind doing. She took in a deep breath and smiled contentedly as the perfume of exotic fruits and tropical flowers tantalized her senses.

Suddenly, Daniel found that he could no longer keep quiet and he launched into lecture mode as they neared one of the trails. "This area is known as Placencia Peninsula," he began quietly. "It's basically a small fishing village with an English-speaking Creole population. The history of humans living here goes back to about 500 AD when the Maya inhabited the area and used the water of the lagoons for shipping. Later it was settled by Puritan Protestants."

Sam nodded. The bus driver had given them a similar version of the history of the area, but she certainly didn't mind hearing it again from Daniel.

"Some artifacts from those Puritan days have actually been discovered right around this hotel," he continued, the enthusiasm in his voice growing. "Things like English clay pipes, rum bottles … it's incredible. This very hotel is a historical site!"

Sam smiled broadly. "I knew that's why you picked this place."

Daniel lowered his head slightly and smiled back. "Well, that and the fact that this area is more secluded. If it's one thing I try to avoid when traveling, it's places that are too, for lack of a better word, 'tourist-y.'"

Sam nodded in agreement.

"And, I thought that, the more secluded the area, the more special it would make our honeymoon. I hope you like this place, Sam," he smiled.

She met his eyes and returned the smile. "I love what I see so far." She suddenly turned as something caught her eye not far from the pool. She began walking quickly over to a white, knitted hammock that was strung up between two palm trees. Daniel followed her curiously.

"I've always wanted to try one of these out," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"You've never been in a hammock before?" he questioned her, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

Sam snickered. "No, I mean the kind strung between palm trees in a tropical paradise. Mark and Lori went to Jamaica for their honeymoon and they had their picture taken in one of these." She lay down inside the hammock with a wide grin on her face that made her appear like an excited little girl. Daniel chuckled softly as he watched her start swinging the hammock slightly before she suddenly jumped out of it.

"Okay, now you lie down in it," she said.

Daniel lifted an eyebrow and then looked at her reluctantly.

"Come on, Daniel!" she prodded him, smiling the entire time.

Daniel forced a smile and begrudgingly climbed into the hammock. It started to swing ever so slightly and he folded his arms behind his head. "Not bad," he said quietly to her.

Without warning, Sam jumped into the hammock with Daniel and nearly succeeded in knocking him out of it. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as it began swinging violently back and forth. "Calm down, Sam!" His surprised expression melted into a tentative smile as she laughed gently and pulled him closer to her.

"Sorry," she said, smiling tenderly at him. She looked down and realized she was nearly on top of him. She blushed faintly at the sudden closeness of his body to hers, but it subsided very quickly and she looked soulfully into his eyes. She started to unbutton the top three buttons of his shirt and ran her hand over the visible part of his chest as she covered his lips with her own. As she kissed him, Daniel started rubbing her back, although he knew that was as far as he would go. He felt the hair on his arms go up when he became aware that Sam had begun to caress his inner thigh.

He reluctantly pulled apart from her and cleared his throat. "Ah … Sam," he began awkwardly.

"What?" she asked absently as she tried to kiss him again.

"It's still daylight and there are people out here …" he trailed off. His eyes darted over to the right, where various people were walking not far away and regarding them with bemused expressions.

"I don't care," she replied dismissively.

Daniel's eyebrows shot up. Was this the same woman he married?

Apparently it was, because just as Sam was about to stick her hand underneath his shirt, she suddenly looked out of the corner of her eyes and became aware of their not-private-at-all location. She blushed furiously and eased up off of him. "I'm sorry," she said sheepishly as she cleared her throat. Daniel shook his head, sat up, and patted her on the arm.

"Thanks for bringing me here," she said before giving him an innocent little kiss on the lips.

"You're welcome," he replied. His warm smile suddenly seemed to have a bit of naughtiness lurking behind it. "Now why don't we go and check into our room?"

Sam laughed softly and nodded before they both climbed out of the hammock and headed for the building.

* * *

Daniel put the last of the clothes he'd brought with him away in the top dresser drawer as Sam sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed, reading a pamphlet detailing things to do in this area of Belize. After checking in and before heading up to their second-floor room, they had inquired about a tour to the Mayan ruins. There was one that was leaving 10 AM the next morning for the Cahal Pech temple. It was a four-hour trip and included lunch. There were full day tours that visited two temples, the notion of which Daniel was eager to entertain. Sam was game, but she also wanted to have some time to relax on the beach. As much as he would have been in his element, Daniel only wanted her to be happy. He decided that the four-hour trip was good enough.

"I still can't believe they have a library down there," Daniel said as he removed his suitcase from the bed and stuck it on the floor of the small closet.

Sam smiled, but she had a sneaky suspicion that he did know beforehand about the large hotel library that housed books on a majority of subjects, but, most importantly, on the Mayan culture. When he first spotted it after they registered for the tour, his mouth dropped open and Sam had to practically drag him away from it. _He's going to get lost in there_, she'd thought to herself.

"Hey, it's just about 6:30," he suddenly said. "Want to go downstairs and have some dinner?"

Oh … um … yeah," Sam replied absently as she was pulled away from the pamphlet. Once he had her full attention, she looked ruefully down at the shorts set she was wearing. "I think I'd like to change into something a little more appropriate for dinner."

Daniel nodded and headed over to the closet where he'd hung his more dressy clothes.

About twenty minutes later, they left their room and were heading down the staircase to the ground floor. Sam was wearing a flattering light blue wrap-style sundress that featured small, ruffled cap sleeves. Daniel was wearing a light blue dress shirt with a navy blue tie, dark gray sports jacket and dress pants. They shot appreciative looks at each other, and this time had no cause to blush.

They had passed the check-in area and began traversing the corridor that took them to the dining room when Sam noticed Daniel's gait slowing. She rolled her eyes, as that could only mean one thing. She found him gaping at the library like a little boy looking moon-faced at the toy BB gun in the storefront window.

"Come on," she grinned as she tugged his arm. "There'll be plenty of time for you to check that place out. It's closed now, anyway." She gestured to a small sign that said the library was closed at 5 PM on Sundays.

Daniel finally turned away and gave her a look of resignation. "Sorry," he said before giving her a small kiss on the cheek. Sam smiled and nodded slightly before they finally made their way to the dining room.

* * *

As they were just finishing up their delicious dinner in the beautiful dining room, Sam began to hear the strains of music coming from somewhere outside. The familiar sounds included those from a piano or keyboard, drums, and a man and woman singing. It was very pleasing to the ears and Sam wanted to hear more of it.

"Daniel, let's go outside and see what's going on," she said.

Daniel obliged and, after paying their bill, he made his way outside with Sam. The music they heard was coming from the pool and bar area. They could see a small crowd sitting at tables that bordered a small hut-like structure that had a thatched roof. Her suspicions were confirmed, as she found a small band and a young man and woman singing inside.

She and Daniel sat down at a table and took in the relaxing ambience. Most of the songs ended up being love songs and the newlyweds found it to be a quite lovely substitute to having a band at their wedding reception. In time, a few couples got up and began slow dancing. Sam and Daniel watched them for a while, and were finally tempted to get up and dance themselves when the male singer began crooning "The Way You Look Tonight."

Sam and Daniel looked lovingly into each other's eyes as they glided across the makeshift concrete dance floor. Yes, this definitely made up for not having a slow dance at the wedding reception. Technically, it was still their wedding day and the fact that they were outside in a warm, fragrant tropical paradise made it even more special. Sam sighed as a comfortable breeze blew past and ruffled their hair. They reveled in the music and the moment and, just before the song was about to end, they were mired in a slow, deep, passionate kiss.

As they kissed, time seemed to stop and the rest of the world faded from view. The only thing they were aware of was how darned _good_ it was to be in each other's arms, expressing their deep love and commitment to each other. They were certainly unaware that the music had since stopped and they'd now become the center of attention, as people were watching them and whispering.

Finally, the loud feedback from the singer's microphone caused their eyes to widen and their lips to reluctantly part. They turned and looked curiously up at him and began to blush as they noticed the wide grin on his face. "Are you newlyweds?" he asked them with a hint of amusement in his lightly accented voice.

"Errrrr … yes," Daniel returned slowly as his cheeks flamed.

"I thought so. That last song was dedicated to you, then," the male singer, whose name was Ramón, said fondly.

"Thank you," Daniel said sheepishly. At that instant, the small crowd began applauding and Daniel regarded them with an awkward nod.

* * *

"Well, that was quite embarrassing," Daniel remarked once they'd retired back up to their hotel room.

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it was a little."

Daniel looked at her dubiously. "You were blushing just as badly as I was," he said accusingly.

Sam snickered. "Okay, so I was," she conceded, "but you have to admit that the music was very nice."

Daniel averted his eyes and nodded.

"And the dancing … and the kissing," she continued, grinning as a faint blush colored her cheeks.

Daniel looked back up at her and his smile grew. "Yes, it was," he said quietly. He made his way over to her and drew her close to him before kissing her lips softly. "And now, I think we'd better turn in. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, what with that tour of the Cahal Pech ruins in the morning."

Sam nodded. Her gaze shifted over to the windows and small balcony outside their room. The sun had gone down and there was a soft, pinkish glow around the moon. From their room, they could see a tiny strip of the beach and it looked deserted. "You think we could take a little stroll along the beach?" she asked, her eyes begging him.

Daniel glanced out the window and then turned back to her and smiled. "Sure," he said softly. He removed his sport jacket and hung it up as Sam slipped her feet out of her pumps and into blue sling back, sandal-styled shoes.

They headed out of the room and down the hall toward the stairs that would take them down to the main level and outside to their ultimate destination. Although Sam was smiling, she was grinning inwardly in anticipation of a romantic, moonlit stroll with her loving husband.

* * *

The night was quiet and still and the beach was virtually deserted. As they reached the shoreline, Sam removed her shoes and felt a tingle as her feet touched the cool, soft sand. They made their way right up to the water's edge and began to traverse the length of the beach. They passed a few couples who were making their way back toward the hotel but, after that, they seemed to have the whole beach to themselves.

Sam sighed contentedly as a warm breeze swept past. She gazed tentatively down at the water as it was about to reach her feet. She was surprised to find out that it was pretty warm, almost like bathwater. She smiled widely as she felt Daniel put his arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to him before they resumed walking.

When they were almost a mile away from the hotel, they stopped again and gazed out at the water and the gorgeous night sky that was accented by the glowing, nearly full moon.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Sam said dreamily.

"It is," Daniel agreed softly. "And I couldn't think of a better person to share it with – the beautiful, intelligent, caring woman who is my wife."

Sam was inwardly sobbing tears of joy as she met the loving gaze of her husband. He edged even closer to her and their lips met for another soft, tender kiss. She began playing with the soft strands of hair close to his neck as his hands began caressing her back. He brought them up and brushed his fingers against her cheek and down the length of her jaw.

At that instant, Sam felt as if a feather was brushing her face and her eyes widened. Her lips suddenly pulled apart from Daniel's and she began to giggle. The giggles turned into peals of laughter and all Daniel could do was stand there and look at her, bewildered.

"Sam, what's so funny? All I did was touch you on the side of the face," he said curiously.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," she said between giggles. "I … I just … you … when you touched me right there, it was …" She trailed off and started laughing again.

Daniel's bewildered expression was replaced by one of realization. He gave her a crooked grin as he said, "You're ticklish."

Sam briefly stopped laughing. "Uh … n-no," she said carefully as a faint blush colored her cheeks.

"You are, aren't you?" he exclaimed in amusement. When she caught his sparkling eyes and mischievous grin she started backing away from him slightly and, as he reached out to tickle her, she shot back with, "Don't you dare!"

Daniel seemed undeterred as he chased her down the beach, her laughter echoing in the warm nighttime air. He realized that Sam was a terrific runner. Running in sand was hard enough and she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it. Granted, he was still wearing shoes and she was barefoot, but he still couldn't help wonder if she had been on the track team in high school.

She finally slowed a bit to calm down and catch her breath, giving him a chance to catch up to her. She had her back to him and didn't realize that he was standing right behind her. Before she had a chance to even turn around, he practically threw himself against her and began maniacally tickling her on her neck.

"Ahh! Daniel, stop it!" she squealed in between hysterical laughter. She tried to wriggle free but he had her in an almost vice-like grip around the waist as he continued to tickle her. His quiet, amused laughter added insult to injury.

Finally, his grip on her loosened somewhat and she was able to push him back. Unfortunately, she didn't realize her own strength and she didn't realize that they were right at the water's edge. Her eyes widened as she witnessed Daniel falling over and landing right in the water. His fall was emphasized by a large splash that just missed her.

"Oops," she said with a little grin and a chuckle as she found him on his back, propped up on his elbows in at least several inches of water. His clothes and most of his hair were wet, and his glasses were spotted with drops of seawater. He tried to wipe them dry on his shirtsleeve and scowled when he stupidly realized that it was useless. He heard Sam chuckle and directed his scowl up at her.

"That'll teach you not to tickle me," she teased.

Daniel continued scowling, which only made Sam laugh harder. He then tilted his head back and let his eyes roll back into his head. Sam's laughter faded and she actually began to worry that he was hurt. "Daniel? Are you all right?" she asked.

Daniel kept still and didn't respond. Sam furrowed her brow and bent down so that she was almost level with him. "Daniel?" she asked quietly.

Suddenly, Daniel reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her down into the water with him. Sam shrieked in surprise as she tumbled down into the water, landing roughly on her stomach. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt and the worst she'd gotten was a mouthful of saltwater, which was hastily expelled. She raised her head and brushed her wet hair back off her face when she heard soft, amused chuckling. She eased up so that she was in a sitting position and found Daniel getting a good laugh at her expense. Now it was her turn to scowl.

"Our relationship is one hundred percent mutual, right?" he said once he managed to calm down.

Sam's scowl eased up and she nodded absently.

"So, it stands to reason that, if I'm lying on the beach soaked in seawater, it's only fair that you should be, too," he finished as he waggled his eyebrows and fixed her with a naughty grin.

Her answer to that was a deadly glare that lightened into a slight smirk and then further into a crooked grin as she edged up closer to him on her hands and knees, lunged at him, and tugged hard at a handful of his hair.

"Ow!" he exclaimed. He began to rub his head where she'd grabbed his hair and looked at her curiously as she began laughing once more. His face ultimately split open in a huge grin and he began laughing as well. She sat down against him and he pulled her into a soggy embrace.

Their lips joined again and, as Daniel pressed against her, Sam had nowhere else to go but down. She was now lying in the sand and Daniel was on top of her, kissing her tenderly while his hands caressed the back of her neck and her shoulders. She reveled in his touch, the cool feel of his skin a sharp contrast to the balmy nighttime air. She could feel that he was getting aroused, as was she, evident from the low groan that found its way out of her throat.

He was about to push the sleeves of her dress down and go a little further when an important realization came to him. He parted lips with her and moved slightly up off of her. "I think this will be a little more enjoyable in the privacy of our own room, hmm?" he said quietly.

Her eyes darted around their surroundings and although she found the beach to be deserted, it wasn't something they could totally count on. They both loved each other more than anything and were eager to profess that love to its fullest, but they still retained a lot of self-consciousness. If even one person witnessed them getting it on in the sand, Sam and Daniel might never be able to live it down.

She gave him a faint smile and nodded. "And it won't be so wet and sandy either," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Daniel chuckled affectionately. "You've got that right … at least the part about the sand," he said as he winked at her and playfully touched her on the end of her nose.

She beamed up at him before picking herself up off the sand, dusting her dress off, and taking hold of his arm. As they began their journey back to the hotel, they both glowed happily inside at the anticipation of taking another step in the journey of their new life together.


	33. Chapter 33 Wedded Bliss Part 2

_A/N: Although I did keep the love scene in this chapter to a T rating, some people might still find it a bit graphic. If you think it will bother you, you might want to consider skipping past this scene. Just a little advance warning, lol._

Chapter 33

Sam glanced over at Daniel and smiled as they entered their hotel room. She kicked her shoes off and sat on the edge of the bed. Daniel began unbuttoning his shirt, which was virtually soaked through and caked with wet sand. Once he'd taken it off, he sighed, realizing that he still had sand – wet and dry – stuck to his skin.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Looks like I was attempting to take part of the beach home with me," he answered with a wry smile. "I think I might hold you personally responsible for that."

"Sorry," she said with a short chuckle.

"I'm going to go and wash up," he continued, gesturing toward the bathroom. "I hate the scratchy feeling of sand on my skin. Plus, I think I even got some sand in my ear." He tilted his head and wiggled his finger around in his ear.

Sam laughed again and shook her head. She looked down at herself and realized that she was almost as bad as he was. Her dress was wet, she had sand stuck to the back of her legs and feet, and her hair even felt a bit grimy from the saltwater, all as a result of their little romp. "Save the bathwater for me," she grinned.

He grinned back and leaned over to give her a soft kiss on the lips before heading into the bathroom. Moments later, she heard the shower turn on and decided to use the opportunity to, for lack of a better word, prepare. She rummaged in one of the dresser drawers and found the ice blue, satin and lace chemise that she'd brought along especially for this trip. She stood in front of the large mirror and held it up against her. A faint blush started to work its way across her cheeks when she realized how short it was.

She looked once more at the open drawer in which she'd found it and saw the pair of matching bikini underwear lying inside. She picked it up and eyed it tentatively. Never before had she worn underwear like this. She felt the blush in her cheeks intensify as she realized what a big step she was taking. Sam the prude was to be no more. She berated herself for thinking this way. It had been the result of her long-held belief that she'd never find the man who was truly right for her; she'd now found that man in Daniel.

She let go of her insecurities and began to smile in anticipation when she heard the shower turn off, followed minutes later by the sound of the hairdryer. Daniel stepped out, wearing nothing except a pair of boxer shorts. He looked clean, refreshed, and happy. Sam went to him and ran her hands over his warm, smooth chest. He smiled back and kissed her again on the lips.

She turned away from him and picked up the chemise and underwear, holding them against her body and shielding them with her arms so that he wouldn't catch a glimpse of them. Unfortunately, she was a bit too late and his eyebrows shot up as he gave her a meaningful glance.

"You didn't see anything," she said mischievously.

He chuckled and held his hands up in surrender before he looked tenderly into her eyes. "Don't take too long, okay?" he asked.

"I won't," she replied as she kissed him on the cheek and finally made her way into the bathroom.

* * *

Several minutes later, satisfied that she had washed off all the sand and rinsed the seawater out of her hair, Sam stepped out of the shower and began to towel off. She rubbed her hair with a towel until it was mostly dry and ran her brush through it. She slipped effortlessly into the bikini underwear and chemise and her blush returned as she caught herself in the mirror. The lingerie presented a sexy shape that showed off her cleavage well – perhaps a bit _too_ well. She bit back her slight insecurities again, reminding herself that she was on her honeymoon, a time for her and Daniel to consummate their relationship in full. As she surveyed herself in the mirror, she couldn't help thinking that she looked pretty good. She only hoped that Daniel would feel the same way.

Speaking of which, Daniel seemed to be getting a little impatient. "Saaaaaaam," he called out, a playful little whine in his voice. "Are you done yet?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed as a large grin found its way across her face. She turned the air vent off and finally made her way out of the bathroom. "Sorry I kept you waiting," she smiled.

Daniel was lying on his side across the only bed in the room, reading one of the tour brochures. He lifted his gaze and, when he caught sight of Sam, absently threw the brochure down onto the bed, his eyes widening. This was the most revealing article of clothing he'd ever seen her in, and he marveled at the way it accentuated her cleavage. His hormones quickly overtook his thought process, and, for a moment, he wanted nothing more than to throw her down on the bed, rip that chemise off of her, and give her what they'd been holding out on for so long. His rational side took control again before he did anything he might regret and reminded him how much he respected her and that he did not want to defy her wish to take things slowly.

A tender smile formed on his face. "You look amazing," he said softly.

She returned his smile but seemed slightly embarrassed as her cheeks became rosy and her eyes immediately found the floor. She slowly walked over to the bed and lay down next to him. Feeling a bit nervous, she smiled awkwardly and, when he pulled her close to him, she felt her heart rate speed up. He turned briefly to place his glasses on the night table. When his gaze returned to her, he noticed a tinge of uncertainty coloring her eyes.

"Sam? Something wrong?" he asked her quietly.

"Daniel, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now. I just didn't because it's … um … kind of embarrassing to talk about and, uh …" A blush stained Sam's cheeks and she lowered her head. "But now that we're married, you need to know."

Daniel's expression turned sober, even a bit fearful. "Oh, no, Sam. Please don't tell me you're really a man who had a sex change, and you want to break it to me gently."

She stared at him for a split second before a mischievous grin revealed that he was joking. "Daniel!" she exclaimed as she socked him lightly in the arm. She broke out in giggles before her expression turned serious once again. "It's just that … that, uh … Well, you know how I said that I never had much time for relationships?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, the … the truth is that I've never gone beyond having a few dates with a guy," Sam finished in a small voice. She ducked her head, blushing furiously.

Daniel's eyes widened as he realized what Sam was saying. "Oh," he breathed. Suddenly feeling very nervous, he cleared his throat. "Um … okay." Based on their discussion of past relationships and Sam's previous behavior, Daniel had guessed that she hadn't had a whole lot of experience, but her confession that she had no experience at all had totally taken him by surprise.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I really should have," Sam mumbled, her eyes still cast downward.

Seeing how much this was bothering her, Daniel shook himself out of his daze and pulled Sam into his arms. "Hey, it's okay, Sam. Really. Yes, I am surprised. You are so beautiful and wonderful that I just assumed some lucky guy would have …" Now it was Daniel's turn to blush. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have made that assumption."

Sam's lips briefly lifted up into a faint smile before she exhaled slowly. "No, no, it's perfectly understandable. I mean, I'm 35 years old. Most people would assume that I'm not … well, that I've had … experience."

Daniel tilted her head up to his and met her eyes. "Please, Sam. It really is okay. We can discover new, wonderful things together," he smiled.

Sam fixed him with wide eyes. "You mean that you're …"

Daniel shook his head. "No, but I've only been with one other woman in my life. Remember that girlfriend I told you about, that I dated when I was a grad student in Chicago?"

Sam looked him in the eyes and nodded.

"So, as far as experience is concerned, I can't say that I have a lot," he continued, looking into her eyes intently, "but believe me when I say that everything is going to be fine."

Sam met his gaze without fear. "I do, Daniel."

His lips lifted up into a tender smile as his eyes never left hers. He wrapped his arms around her and closed the small space that was between them as he covered her lips with his.

"I do," she managed to repeat breathlessly before his lips formed a tight seal against hers and he initiated a slow, tender kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and innocently ran his fingers through her hair before caressing her bare back. Sam felt as if Daniel was just taking it nice and slow, pretty much what they'd done throughout their entire relationship. For the first few moments, she didn't mind it and reveled in the kiss, her body shivering slightly as his cool hands slid over her warm flesh.

Suddenly, a quite familiar, wonderful feeling began coursing through her body. It was the same feeling she experienced on the park bench on her birthday, as well as in the hotel room in Egypt. It was warm at first like a campfire on a chilly evening and then it quickly grew hot, as if a firecracker had been ignited inside her. She took the lead and made the kiss more hungry and passionate. She tangled her fingers in his hair, as if to keep him against her. Daniel didn't miss a beat and fully welcomed it as his tongue joined hers for a little game of Twister.

Still mired deep within the kiss, Sam untangled one of her hands from his hair and led it on a journey from his neck down to his chest. She stopped when she felt his hand begin a journey of its own down her back, ultimately cupping her left buttock. It was something he had done before with her, but the feeling she experienced here and now was very different. Back then, it was more tentative and even slightly overshadowed by guilt. Now, she didn't feel any guilt at all and was thoroughly enjoying every bit of his touch.

Daniel's lips pulled apart from hers and he began tracing a line of small kisses from her jaw down her neck. He took hold of the straps of her chemise and pulled them down off her shoulders, allowing more of her flesh to be exposed before he continued the kisses down to her breasts. The feel of his lips on her skin and the quick, calculated kisses gave her the sensation of being pricked by tiny, fiery needles. She tilted her head back slightly and shut her eyes.

"Oh, Daniel," she breathed. There had been a small, hidden fear deep inside her about what she would feel and experience when she finally made love with Daniel. But that fear was quickly being consumed by the sensations that were coursing through her and by the knowledge that this was so very right. The love she and Daniel shared made it so. As the new feelings Sam was experiencing made her excitement grow, all thoughts of that former fear melted like ice on a hot skillet.

Daniel felt overtaken by flames of passion as he felt Sam's hand moving up his inner thigh. He had not been this highly aroused in a long time, but Sam would never have known that from the way he responded to her. The meek, somewhat shy, rational young man suddenly left the building as Daniel's intense feelings of desire overtook his mind. Ever since they began their serious relationship, he'd taken things slowly, even though, deep down, he had ached to share this experience with her. But, now, there was no reason to hold back, and all he could think about was how deeply he loved Sam and how very much he wanted her.

His deep feelings began to control his every move as he stroked and caressed every inch of her exposed flesh. He felt an overwhelming desire to see more of her and it resulted in him managing to slip the chemise off of her body completely. At first, she flushed at the notion of being entirely naked except for her bikini underwear. Once she caught Daniel eyeing her appreciatively with a tender smile, her slight insecurities eased up and she grabbed him, pulling him closely to her and mashing her lips up against his for another hungry kiss.

Neither one of them was willing to end the kiss, but Daniel suddenly did so, surprising Sam a bit. The sound of him panting softly drew her gaze to his. For a moment, their eyes met and unspoken questions, assurances, and feelings were shared. In Daniel's eyes, Sam saw that he wanted to be sure that she was ready to take the next step and that he was worried about hurting her. The fact that he cared so much made her love him even more. She gave him a smile that told him all he needed to know, that she was ready and wanted this more than anything. Though his passion for her was nearly making him lose control, the last thing in the world he wanted to do was bring her pain, so he vowed to take things slowly, just as he'd always promised.

A moment later, the last of Sam's inhibitions flew out the window as Daniel slowly removed the final pieces of their clothing. He engulfed her in another passionate kiss, during which they resumed touching, stroking and fondling every inch of each other's flesh. Sam uttered a soft moan and felt her breath being stolen away as a result of Daniel's touch. Never before had she been so deeply aroused.

And then it happened. Sam grew still as she finally experienced the ecstasy of becoming one with Daniel, their bodies joined together in a union that felt to her as if it had joined their souls as well. Filled with the incredible pleasure of the feeling, Sam let out a louder moan, not even aware that she had done so. This was what she had waited all those years for, and now she was glad that she had. She knew that no one else but Daniel would have made it feel so wonderful. Daniel felt his heart cry out in joy at their union. Their full, complete expression of love for one another filled him with a warm sense of pleasure that went clear down to his bones.

Their lovemaking was slow and gentle, and Sam reveled in the ecstasy that accompanied it, feeling as if she was at last complete. That feeling was shared by Daniel, who was nearly overwhelmed by the intense emotions he was experiencing, never before having felt anything so incredible.

As their lovemaking continued, Daniel and Sam's desire suddenly spread through them like wildfire, threatening to consume them as they reached their climax. Sam threw her head back and cried out Daniel's name over and over again, her cries becoming something akin to a primal scream. If he was thinking clearly, Daniel would have been shocked. But the fire was still ravaging through him, and he did not notice that his cries of her name were being drowned out by her screams.

At last, they collapsed back onto the clammy bed sheets and lay in each other's arms, a deep sense of fulfillment shared between them. Their eyes were closed as they panted softly, still overtaken by the pleasure that resulted from their lovemaking.

Sam finally met Daniel's gaze when she heard him softly speak her name. His eyes seemed to bore into her soul, filling her with love, joy and happiness. After a moment, those eyes became tinted slightly with fear.

"Are you … okay?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

His question was answered when Sam's lips slowly lifted into a smile. It was a weak smile, as she felt that was all she could manage right now, but it was a smile nonetheless. Her body was experiencing such a pleasant, languid feeling now, yet she was also a little overwhelmed with the emotions of what had just happened. The strongest emotion of all, though, was her deep love for Daniel.

"I'm absolutely wonderful," she sighed.

Daniel replied with a tender smile and lifted his hand to her cheek, stroking it gently. He then edged up slightly and kissed her softly on the forehead. Sam's smile remained as her eyes began to droop, and, in short time, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Daniel took hold of her hand and gazed at her lovingly, his heart overflowing with happiness in knowing that he and Sam were now one. At last, they had fully expressed their love for each other, and it was the best experience Daniel could ever remember having. Yes, she was not the first woman he'd made love to, but she would be the last.

At that thought, he felt himself growing very drowsy. His eyes shut and his breathing slowed as he joined Sam in a deep, peaceful slumber.

* * *

Although the curtains were drawn, a small crack allowed a bright ray of sunlight to penetrate the constant darkness, attempting to wake the room's dozing occupants. It partly succeeded, as Daniel whimpered softly and began to stir. Sam, however, was still dead to the world.

After shifting his legs briefly, he seemed to drift back to sleep. No, the sunlight had not done the trick. Outside, the sun became partially hidden behind the clouds for a brief time and the ray of sunlight diminished, almost as if in defeat over the failure of its plan.

A sudden, loud rap on the door seemed to work, however.

Daniel's eyes flew open as his ears picked up the urgent knocking. The first thing he noticed was that he was lying on his back with Sam asleep in his arms. He looked down at her and smiled tenderly, memories of what took place the previous night still very strong. He recalled what a wonderful experience it was, how much it emphasized his true, undying love for Sam. The thought broadened his smile, and he was about to lean back down and kiss her when the knocking sounded once again.

Daniel had half a notion to try ignoring the loud interruptions, but the urgency and persistence of the knocking made him think that it was something important. He reluctantly decided to get up and answer the door, find out what the problem was, and send the offending party on their way.

He reached over and put his glasses back on. Then he drew the covers back and eased up off the bed, careful not to disturb Sam. He was halfway to the door when he blushed furiously, realizing that there was one tiny problem: he was completely naked.

He desperately looked around for cover and, upon not finding his boxer shorts, ended up wrapping a towel from the bathroom around his waist. Passing the bed, he regarded Sam curiously, wondering how she could sleep through that loud knocking. He padded nervously up to the door, still wondering what was going on.

He took a quick look through the peephole and spotted two men. He couldn't quite tell from his vantage point, but their expressions did not appear very friendly at all. Daniel swallowed hard, hoping that he wasn't in any kind of trouble.

He finally unlocked the door and opened it slowly. Standing in front of him was a large, familiar-looking man with a ruddy tan and light brown hair. Next to him was a shorter, fair-skinned elderly man wearing crisp clothes and a tweed cap. The large man regarded Daniel patiently, while the older gentleman appeared irate.

"Ah … yes?" Daniel asked nervously as he looked the two men up and down.

"Sir, I am Peter Kjeskold, hotel manager," the larger man calmly replied in a slight Scandinavian accent. So, that's why he looked familiar. Daniel thought he'd spotted this man in the lobby when they first checked in.

"I tell you, there was a loud ruckus the whole night!" the elderly man interrupted in a British accent.

"I … I don't understand," Daniel returned, his brows drawn together in confusion.

"Daniel?" Sam's voice suddenly called faintly.

"Ah! And there's the female offender!" the old man exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, what's going on?" Daniel said, suddenly getting a bad feeling about this.

"Mr. Saunders and his wife are in room 223," Peter began, gesturing to the room immediately to the right of Sam and Daniel's. "He claims there were some loud … disturbances coming from this room beginning around 2 AM."

"Ah … l-loud disturbances?" Daniel nearly choked out, growing more uncomfortable by the second.

"Aye, it sounded as if I was in the middle of a pornographic film! '_Daniel! Daniel!_' '_Sam! Sam!_'" he screeched mockingly. "All bloody night!"

Daniel's face was entirely drained of color and his mouth dropped open. "I … I," was all he could utter.

Sam made her way up to the door, a sheet wrapped around her. "Daniel?" she asked again.

"Sam, we have visitors," he squeaked out.

"I will admit that you weren't the brunt of the trouble, my lad," the old man suddenly said. He looked pointedly at Sam and stuck a long, bony index finger in her face. "But you have quite a set of pipes there, Missy!"

"Um … pipes?" she inquired.

"Sounded like you were bleedin' Sheena, Queen of the Jungle with those primal screams! Near gave my Madeline a heart attack!"

Sam suddenly remembered her behavior during the events last night and her complexion quickly matched Daniel's. "Oh, my God," she breathed as she covered her mouth with her hand. She looked like she wanted to run and hide.

The newlyweds looked down at their very blatant covers and grew even more ashamed. "I … we … we are so sorry," Daniel finally got out. "We were celebrating our honeymoon …" He trailed off lamely.

The old man scoffed as if he'd heard that excuse one time too many, but the manager regarded them sympathetically. "I figured that was the case," he said. He then gave them a mildly accusing look. "Why didn't you request the honeymoon suite?"

"Honeymoon suite?" Daniel asked, the color beginning to return to his face in the form of a blush.

Peter nodded. "It is vacant, you know. It's on the top floor. Has a sunken living room, hot tub, panoramic view …"

"Oh," Daniel said in a small voice, now joining Sam in wanting to run and hide. "I … w-well, I'm only a college professor, and finances are … ah …"

"I understand," Peter smiled. "Would you settle for a little exchange – this room for the honeymoon suite, at the same rate?"

Daniel's eyes widened as he considered the possibility that the manager was serious. "I … r-really?"

"Oh, just give it to them so that me wife and I can have some peace and quiet!" Mr. Saunders said bitterly.

Peter chuckled. "Come down to the concierge's desk and they will have everything sorted out for you."

Daniel and Sam stared at him, still in disbelief. "I don't know what to say," Daniel said awkwardly. "That's extremely kind of you."

"We're so sorry about last night," Sam added, blushing even more. "We're not normally that kind of … people."

Saunders' stern expression softened slightly. "Reckon I can understand. Hell, Maddie and I were once newlyweds. Course, in those days, we didn't operate on that frequency."

"Of course," Daniel said with a crooked smile, still blushing furiously.

"We were _much_ louder!" the old man finished, his cloudy gray eyes sparkling. He chuckled giddily before making his way back to his room.

"I'm sure," Daniel mumbled. Sam caught his comment and uttered a short, quiet laugh, which she seemed to instantly feel ashamed about, as she cleared her throat.

"Again, we're really sorry for this," Daniel told Peter.

Peter smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"Still, I'm sorry it had to happen at all. I mean, I guess we can all get caught up in the heat of the … ah … moment," Daniel coughed nervously as his eyes darted over to Sam, who ducked her head ashamedly. "But, it's not like us to forget about other people, and for that we're really embarrassed."

The manager's smile grew wider. "If only everyone had your humility, Sir," he said. He chuckled softly upon witnessing Daniel's deepening blush. "Ah, to be young again and experience the newness and excitement of being alone for the very first time on your honeymoon," he said wistfully.

"Ah … we didn't disturb anyone else, did we?" Daniel asked, a trace of hope in his still awkward tone.

Peter shook his head. "No. Mr. Saunders was the only guest who complained. The room to your left is vacant."

Daniel and Sam shared a look and inwardly breathed a huge sigh of relief that their predicament wasn't any worse than it could have been. Daniel met the older man's gaze with some leftover shame. "I don't know if we can accept this offer."

Peter smiled and held his hands up. "Please, it is no trouble at all," he said insistently. "We opened this hotel in 1972 and if it's one thing we've always done, it's giving our honeymooners royal treatment. Please accept it as our compliments." He looked them over once more and smiled affectionately. "Congratulations."

The young couple's shame-faced expressions finally eased up and they regarded him with tentative smiles. "Thank you," they said nearly in unison, still sounding a bit awkward.

The manager gave them a quick smile and, before he turned to walk away, he reminded them, "Come down to the concierge's desk and they'll take care of everything."

Sam and Daniel nodded as they watched him walk off. Noticing that there were some people milling about the hallway, Daniel quickly shut the door. "Well, that was … extremely embarrassing," he recounted miserably.

Upon not hearing a reply from Sam, he turned his head and curiously looked around before he noticed that the bathroom door was shut. He suddenly wondered if Sam, out of her utter embarrassment, had locked herself inside and was crying. He tentatively made his way up to the door and knocked softly. "Sam? Are you okay?" he asked gently.

There was no response. Daniel sighed heavily, thinking that perhaps she was so embarrassed and angry with him – angry for getting her into a position that rendered her helpless, as if her inexperience afforded her no choice but to suddenly transform into a screaming banshee. He knew that was silly and doubted that Sam would ever be that way. Still, he hoped that she wasn't angry with him at all.

He was about to sit back down on the bed when the doorknob began turning and the door slowly opened. Sam emerged, wearing a bathrobe over her little chemise. She was no longer blushing furiously, but her face was still a nice shade of pink. She slowly made her way over to the bed and sat down, putting a bit of distance between herself and Daniel.

"I can't believe I did that," she said shamefully.

"Did what?" Daniel asked, hoping she wasn't regretting their lovemaking.

"If I had known I would turn out to be a, a, screamer," her blush intensified as she said the last word, "I wouldn't have …" Finding herself unable to express her feelings correctly, she trailed off and avoided his gaze.

Daniel moved over so that he was sitting right against her. He cupped her chin with his hand and tilted her head up to his. "Are you saying that you regret what we did last night?"

Sam felt like inserting her foot, slipper and all, down her throat when she witnessed the hurt coloring Daniel's eyes. She instantly felt very shameful of what she said, or, more correctly, in what she almost said. "No," she stated baldly. "I enjoyed what we had last night, Daniel. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, the experience was very new to me, but there were some very familiar feelings there. I could feel your love for me, deeper and more complete than I'd ever felt and it made the experience very, very wonderful."

The hurt quickly left Daniel's eyes and his expression turned grateful.

"I just … God, I have to stop being embarrassed about every little thing," she said ruefully as she looked away and raked a hand through her tousled, blonde hair.

Daniel smiled sympathetically. "Hey, it's okay. You should have seen my face when I saw the hotel manager and our … ah … neighbor at the door."

"I guess I know what I'm capable of now," she said, emitting a quick, sheepish laugh.

Daniel laughed and pulled her close to him once more. "As long as you didn't regret last night, I'm okay with that," he said, tracing his finger across her jaw line but careful not to tickle her again.

Sam locked eyes with him and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "No. Never."

Daniel's smile broadened before he embraced her and they shared a slow, tender kiss.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sam and Daniel were dressed and downstairs at the concierge's desk, waiting to exchange their room for the honeymoon suite. After fifteen more minutes, they were upstairs on the very top floor of the building and inside the suite, staring with fish-like expressions at its grandeur.

As the manager had said, it was very spacious and featured a sunken living room and Jacuzzi. It also featured a king bed, amenities like a mini bar and refrigerator, and a panoramic view with a private balcony. Daniel instantly felt as if he didn't belong in there, as if he was intimidated by its opulence. Sam herself felt a bit awkward, but she instantly took to admiring the colorful décor. It was done in classic Caribbean style, with rich, dark hardwood and locally made fabrics. The walls were splashed with pastel green and a creamy off-white.

After they put most of their things away, they ventured out onto the balcony and took in the glorious view of a Caribbean morning.

"I feel like we don't really belong here," Daniel said quietly.

Sam nodded. "I know. But, something had to have brought us here, didn't it?" _In more ways than one, _she silently added.

Daniel nodded before he caught a quick glimpse of his watch and his eyes widened. "Oh, my God, it's already eight o'clock," he muttered.

Sam affected a sober expression. "Oh, that … that tour is what time?"

"Ten," Daniel answered. "Look, Sam, are you sure you still want to go? I mean, are you still up to it after last night?" He wasn't worried as much about losing money or about missing out on something he enjoyed as he was about her physical well-being.

Sam smiled widely. "Of course I am. I wouldn't miss it for anything. And, before you ask, I'm feeling terrific." She supplemented her words with a quick kiss on his lips.

The kiss made Daniel's face light up. "Okay. I guess we'll have some breakfast first, and then it's off to the Cahal Pech ruins."

Sam nodded and then affected a curious expression. "What does that mean, Daniel?"

"Cahal Pech? It's Maya. It means 'Place of the Ticks,'" he supplied.

"Oh," she said thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow as Daniel began making his way back inside the room. "I hope we brought bug spray," she said with a crooked grin as she followed him, a slight spring in her step.


	34. Chapter 34 Discovery Part 1

Chapter 34

As he made his way up one of the twisted staircases of the Cahal Pech Temple, Daniel glanced curiously up at Sam, who was way in front of him, but still lagging behind their tour group. He wasn't expecting to find her so energetic, especially after walking through most of the grounds and climbing so many stairs. Her pretty face was radiant with excitement, curiosity, and something else as they made their way through the tour. Daniel couldn't put his finger on it, but the nearly perpetual smile on her lips seemed to reveal some potent feeling deep within her.

Sam felt as though her legs had springs inside them as she bounded up the stairs of the temple. She barely noticed that Daniel was trying hard to keep up with her until she reached the top. She found it odd that she wasn't standing there hunched over and trying to catch her breath. It was as if she was infused with a new, powerful kind of energy in limitless supply. At first, she chalked it up to the hearty breakfast they'd had just several hours before. But food didn't have the tendency to have such a strong influence on her. She began to entertain the possibility that the events of the night before had something to do with it.

She waited rather impatiently as Daniel finally reached the top step and made his way over to her. He looked at her curiously at first and then accusingly.

"Any reason in particular that you're running away from me?" he asked her quietly, with an impish spark in his eye. "Did my archaeo-babble embarrass you?" Not that he could help babbling; he found the history behind the ruins so fascinating and had begun to fill Sam in on some intricate details that the tour guide had left out. Waiting for her answer, he gave her a mock hurt expression before glancing downward and fidgeting with the cord of the tan boonie hat he was wearing.

Sam chuckled and shook her head. "Why would that embarrass me, Daniel?" she asked, a touch incredulous, even though she was fairly certain that he was joking.

Daniel blushed faintly and shrugged before he looked back up at her with an awkward smile. "I guess I just didn't expect you to be bounding up the steps at full steam."

Sam uttered a girlish giggle and then cleared her throat in embarrassment. "I … uh … I can't really explain it. I just have so much energy today. I feel like I could run a triathlon and never tire. I just … I just have this fresh, wonderful feeling!" she exclaimed.

Her smile faded when she caught his crooked grin and heard a snicker. "What?"

"You sound like a deodorant commercial," he said, amused.

Sam lightly swatted him across the chest but grinned back. "Well, I do!" she insisted between giggles.

Daniel didn't answer her, but kept looking at her with a grin on his face that eased into an affectionate smile. Finally he edged closer to her and pulled her into his arms. "You're amazing," he said tenderly as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

Sam's face glowed even brighter, if such a thing was even possible, and it prompted Daniel to chuckle affectionately. They suddenly noticed the tour guide moving on with the rest of the group, so they broke apart and rushed to catch up with them.

Once the group arrived at the far end of the temple, the guide resumed his discussion about the site in softly accented English. "Throughout the Classic Period …"

"Roughly A.D. 300-800," Daniel quietly added, leaning in to Sam. Sam nodded and grinned. He had mentioned this at least one other time, but she found his earnest attempts to elaborate on the guide's spiel adorable.

"… The site continued to flourish. Many of the large temples – including this one – and the palaces were erected during this time. During the last centuries of the first millennia, however, many of the occupants began to abandon the center," the guide continued.

"That's often referred to as the Maya Collapse," Daniel told her. His tone was quiet, but Sam could hear the excitement edging into his voice once again. "There isn't much in literature about why this site was depopulated – no one really has any idea what the cause was. It's very intriguing because other centers in the Belize Valley continued to thrive for several more centuries …"

He trailed off as soon as he caught Sam staring at him, her face cracked open in a wide grin. "What?" he asked suspiciously, drawing the word out.

"Oh, Daniel, you're just so _cute_!" she exclaimed playfully. She grabbed him and planted a quick kiss on his mouth, causing him to utter a slight sound of surprise.

"Cute?" he squeaked out incredulously.

Sam quickly took notice that no one had seen her little display of affection. Still, a faint blush colored her cheeks and she laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, but I love seeing you so happy and excited about things … so in your element." She ducked her head slightly.

Daniel looked at her for a few seconds and then adopted a blush himself.

"You know what I mean," she continued, still sounding awkward. "And as I said before, I find it all very interesting."

A smile finally grew on Daniel's face and he gave her a small hug. "I'm glad that you do," he said fondly. "I've read so much about this place but I only visited it once, back when I first started my graduate studies. I'd been meaning to go back, but it sort of took a back seat when I concentrated more on Egyptology. Still, I kept reading up on it, as much as I could, anyway. I'm really glad that I was able to visit it again." He flashed a grateful smile at Sam. "I am a little disappointed, though."

Sam's smile faded and she regarded him curiously. "Why?"

Daniel shrugged. "I kept hoping that we would find something really incredible or controversial. It's all basically as I remembered it from graduate school. Then again, this site has been excavated quite extensively, especially over the past five to ten years. I suppose that, if they'd found something really big, it wouldn't have gone undocumented."

Sam looked at him intently before realization lit up her eyes. She surmised that he was thinking about their theory and wondering if it could possibly have a broader reach across the globe. Daniel must have been looking ahead, thinking that the theory might not be well-received if they only had evidence from Egypt. If they found similar data elsewhere, it might lend more credence to the idea and make it sit better among the academics from whom they'd try to get funding. Of course, this was only a guess but, knowing Daniel, she couldn't put it past him. She nodded slowly.

"Well, there are more ruins we can take a look at," he continued, attempting to rid his voice of the glum tone it had taken on. "And it's only the second day of our honeymoon."

Sam's brows drew together in confusion. "Don't tell me this is all we're going to do the whole time," she said, disbelief creeping into her voice.

Daniel sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "No, it's not. Sorry, Sam, I just got a little carried away there." He put his arm around her and began rubbing her shoulder.

"I know where you're going with this," she said. "I would love to find some evidence that correlates with what we found in Egypt, but I don't want to make this honeymoon all work and no relaxation. Okay?"

Daniel looked into her eyes and nodded. "I know you probably don't believe me, but that was never my intention. I thought you might enjoy the more off-the-beaten-path feel to this place, as well as the relative seclusion. I love you, Sam, and I only want you to be happy."

She met his eyes with reassurance. "I am, Daniel. I just want us to have some playtime, too."

Daniel's face flushed almost to his ears, behind which his floppy light brown hair was safely tucked, and he began to nervously finger the cord of his hat once again. "Playtime," he repeated awkwardly with a hint of a rakish smile. "That's a pretty broad term, isn't it?"

"You want it to be?" she asked him coyly. That only resulted in a deeper blush from Daniel, causing Sam to utter a short laugh. "I'm not talking just about that. I also want to relax on the beach a little, do some shopping, and maybe take a different kind of sight-seeing tour."

Daniel's blush faded and he gave her a little smile. "We'll do that," he said simply.

Sam nodded. "Think we can get in a little beach bumming after we get back to the hotel?"

"Sure, why not?" Daniel said as his smile grew. He looked down at her watch and realized that it was nearly 2 pm; the tour was almost over. He turned back to where the tour guide had been standing and realized that they were the only two people still on the top level of the temple. "And it appears that our group has left us," he said awkwardly.

"Oh, geez," Sam remarked, flustered. They heard voices below them and headed back the way they came. Glancing downward, they saw the rest of the group descending the stairs and they rushed to catch up to them.

* * *

Sam sat up on the chaise lounge, the warm tropical breezes tickling her bare shoulders as she sipped her cool drink. It was nearly three o'clock, but the sun was as bright as ever, lighting up the bright blue, nearly cloudless, sky and making the clear, azure water sparkle invitingly. She was shaded by the palm-roofed palapa under which she sat, but was still glad that she'd slathered herself up with sunscreen.

She regarded the empty lounge chair next to her and the little table in between, on which a drink identical to hers sat. She grinned and thought back to when she and Daniel had first come down to the beach. They'd just returned from the tour at around twenty minutes past two and they headed straight for their hotel room. Sam was determined to spend some time on the beach and Daniel admitted that it was not a bad idea. She changed into her bathing suit and he changed into a pair of swim trunks and a short-sleeved, buttoned shirt that he kept open.

They'd made their way down to the main level and were about to exit to the beach when he sighed, annoyed. He'd forgotten not only his hat, but his sunglasses as well. Sam was surprised, as he'd had them with him during the tour. He absent-mindedly left them back in the room when he changed into his bathing suit. He asked Sam to save a spot for them and promised he'd be right back.

Daniel seemed to be taking longer than usual and, in that span of time, a young man made his way over to her and asked if she'd like a drink. From his clothes, his tanned complexion and winning smile, and his nametag, she realized that he worked at the hotel. She decided on a frozen, most definitely non-alcoholic drink that was a blend of fruits like watermelon, pineapple and passion fruit. She figured that Daniel might like one, especially after that long tour, and ordered one for him as well.

Now, as she sipped the drink once more, she couldn't help thinking about how the young man talked to her. It was not unusual for hotel staff to be friendly, but he seemed to go out of his way to make sure everything was just perfect for her. Not only that, but she witnessed a twinkle in his eye as he brought the drinks back. She thought she caught him winking at her after he told her, "Please let me know if you need anything else." Then again, he had probably gotten something in her eye and she was just being paranoid. She decided that the notion that he'd be flirting with her was silly.

She looked straight ahead and watched the various people who passed by. The beach wasn't especially crowded but there was still a good opportunity for people-watching. There were a few families with young children, quite a few people of retirement age, several young blonde women speaking in a foreign tongue – probably some Scandinavian language, Sam guessed – who were also sunning themselves, and then the most populous group: the young couples.

Sam wondered how many of these young couples were newlyweds like her and Daniel. She found them mostly walking arm and arm down the length of the beach, smiling broadly at one another, and even kissing in each other's arms, not worried for a second that they were out in broad daylight amongst many strangers. Watching these couples that were so much in love strengthened the strong feeling inside her that had given her so much drive and energy today. It was one that resulted from discovery and subsequent realization of the deep desire she had for Daniel. She continued to watch the couples go by and hoped that Daniel would soon arrive.

A light tap on her shoulder brought her abruptly out of her reverie.

"Señorita?" a familiar voice asked.

Her gaze flew in the direction of the voice and she found the young man who worked at the bar standing at her side, looking at her purposefully.

She smiled inwardly, a bit flattered at first that he referred to her in the diminutive to suggest that she was young. She then remembered that it could also have been used to assume that she was unmarried. "I'm sorry," she said, clearing her throat awkwardly as she gave him an expectant look.

The young man eyed her and then looked down at her half-finished drink. "Would you like another?"

"Oh, uh … no, I'm fine," she replied, deliberately holding out her hand and clutching the glass once again. It was the hand on which she wore her wedding ring.

The man must have gotten the idea and he nodded quickly. "Okay," he said before darting back up the beach and in the direction of the bar.

Sam affected a small grin and took another sip of her drink. She didn't notice that Daniel had made his way to the beach at last and had sought her out.

"Hey," he said softly, almost startling her as he appeared virtually out of nowhere. His slightly apologetic eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses as he sat himself down on the edge of the chaise lounge next to her.

Sam bit back an amused grin as she took in his appearance. With his brown trunks, open yellow shirt, and boonie hat that rested on his back while the cord hung around his neck, he looked almost like a typical tourist. She impulsively removed his sunglasses so she could have a look at his beautiful blue eyes.

Daniel gave her a crooked smile. "I couldn't help noticing that he seemed awfully friendly toward you," he said in a mock suspicious, almost teasing, tone.

Sam responded with a smile that matched his and nodded. "Yes, he was a bit friendly, but you'll also notice that he left rather quickly. I think he caught a glimpse of this." She held out her hand, gesturing to her ring. "He knew he wouldn't have a chance," she grinned.

Daniel laughed. "And for that I'm thankful," he said before putting his arm around her and kissing her.

Sam chuckled softly and beamed. She then noticed the extra drink. "Oh, I got you something," she commented as she grabbed the drink and handed it to him.

Daniel nodded thanks as he took the glass. His brow furrowed as he eyed it tentatively. "What is it?"

"Same thing I have," she said, gesturing to her glass. "It's like a smoothie, only without the milk. It's … um, watermelon, pineapple, and passion fruit; maybe some coconut too. But no alcohol."

Daniel relaxed visibly and took a sip. His eyebrows rose quickly as he experienced its delicious flavor. "That's pretty good," he remarked, surely an understatement as he took a few more sips.

Sam smiled and nodded. She leaned back in the chaise lounge and sighed. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" she said dreamily.

Daniel took another sip of his drink and briefly set the glass down. "It is," he replied. "I don't think I could ask for a more perfect day." He looked over at Sam and smiled tenderly.

She returned his smile and sighed contentedly. "I think I could sit out here almost forever."

Almost forever turned out to be almost one hour. In that span of time, she and Daniel had finished their drinks, took a short walk down the beach, and had gone for a little swim. After retiring back to their shady sanctuary, they sat back and relaxed for a short time before Daniel sat up, nervously clutched at his damp hair, and looked at Sam hesitantly. "I, ah … I'm thinking of checking out that library now," he said.

Sam studied his face and frowned slightly. _He has a whole week for that_, she thought to herself. She sighed and gave him a resigned expression. "Well, it is almost four o'clock," she said, attempting to mask the disappointment in her tone. "I guess we could check it out for a little while." She knew she was wasting her breath with that last sentence, as Daniel would probably spend an eternity in there if he could.

Daniel gave her a grateful smile and a kiss, which seemed to make her disappointment briefly fade. They rose from the chairs, gathered up their towels, and made their way back to the main building.

* * *

Having gotten cleaned up and changed into clean clothes, Sam and Daniel were downstairs in the hotel's extensive library. At first, Sam wandered around, taking interest in some books on tropical horticulture, as well as on a few about the Mayan civilization. After a while, she began to grow bored and was anxious to do something else. Daniel was obviously having a field day, going through most of the books on archaeology and anthropology.

Finally, Sam looked at her watch and realized it was near four-thirty. She decided she would go and do some shopping. She didn't think Daniel would be up to doing anything like that, especially as he was so engrossed in the books. She formulated a plan in her head before she edged up to him and touched him on the back.

"Anything interesting?" she asked nonchalantly.

Daniel gave her a slight nod. "Very interesting, although nothing I haven't really heard of before."

Sam grinned, fully expecting his answer. She was about to say more when he interrupted her, "I was hoping to find something intriguing about one of the few temples I had in mind, so we could narrow down locations in which to continue our search. But, there's nothing. I have to admit that it's a little frustrating." He sighed and gave her a rueful smile.

Sam's grin faded and she gazed at him sympathetically. "This sort of thing always is, Daniel. I'm sure you'll come up with something. But remember, we're mostly here to relax and celebrate our honeymoon." She finished with a half smile.

"I know," he said softly.

She met his gaze and nodded. After a beat, she continued, "I hope you don't mind if I say I want to do a little shopping."

"Ah … shopping?" he asked, a hint of dread in his voice.

Sam picked up on it and laughed softly. "I was going to catch a bus to the village and just poke around in some of the shops. I didn't think you'd be interested, so you can stay in here and I'll meet you back up at the room before dinner." She swallowed hard, feeling a little guilty for suggesting that they split up for a little while.

Fortunately, Daniel seemed to be reading her mind and he didn't think it was a bad idea himself. "Sure, Sam. To be honest, I didn't think you'd be terribly interested in any of this," he said, waving his arms around at the books before he returned his gaze to her. "If you want to shop, I don't want to hold you back. Why don't we meet back upstairs in an hour? Would that be enough of time?"

Sam thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, it should be," she replied. "Are you sure it will be enough for you?" she asked with a teasing grin.

Daniel chuckled softly. "It will, I promise."

She nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning and heading out of the library.

* * *

The effects of their long day beginning to catch up on her, Sam wearily made her way toward a small shop at the edge of the village center. She'd been inside most of the establishments and the most she'd walked away with was a souvenir keychain. Some of the shops did offer some lovely gifts, but nothing that seemed all that practical to her. Nevertheless, she had promised Sara and her father that she would bring something back for them.

She entered the shop and smiled at the proprietor in reply to his friendly greeting. She browsed through the short aisles with minimal interest. She managed to find a lovely bracelet woven with stones that was reasonably cheap and which she thought would make a nice gift for Sara. She wandered a bit further to a small clothing section and eyed a handsome, woven belt that she thought her father might like. It was also reasonably priced. Apart from these two items, nothing really struck her fancy.

She was about to head over to the cashier where the shopkeeper was patiently standing when she spotted what appeared to be pottery out of the corner of her eye. She slowly walked over to the small corner and she sighed in defeat, realizing that what she'd seen was nothing more than handcrafted ceramic plates and various containers.

One piece seemed to stick out like a sore thumb against the rest. Sam bent down and looked at the jar curiously. Its antiquated appearance made her wonder if it was some sort of artifact. It did appear to resemble the types of artifacts she'd just seen in some of the books inside the hotel's library.

She picked it up carefully, her eyes widening upon finding various pictographs on it. The designs were colorful and intricately done. She edged up and walked over to the cashier. "Excuse me," she began. "I'm interested in this piece. Can you tell me what it is?"

The shopkeeper furrowed his brow in confusion as she handed the jar to him. He looked at it intently, turning it around in his hands to get a look at all sides of it. "I am fairly certain that it is Mayan," he told her.

Sam's mouth dropped open. "Really? That's … that's interesting. You wouldn't happen to know what these drawings represent, would you?" she asked tentatively.

The man frowned. "No, I am sorry, Señora. I am afraid I do not have the archaeologist background." He gave her an apologetic smile.

Sam nodded. "Thank you anyway," she said, resigned. Suddenly, a realization came to her. "Actually, my husband is an archaeologist. Would it be possible for you to hold this for me? I'll bring him back with me either tonight or tomorrow." The shopkeeper was barely able to give her a confused nod when she continued, "How late are you open?"

"Er … eight o'clock," he said, still a bit confused.

Sam's brows drew together as she thought. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to make it back tonight. If not, we will be here early tomorrow. Is this okay?"

The man nodded and gave her a small smile. "Yes. I will hold it for you, Mrs. …?"

"Oh, it's Jackson … Sam Jackson," she replied. She smiled inwardly, liking the way that sounded.

The shop owner nodded and smiled as she made her way to the door. "Have a lovely evening," he called out.

Sam acknowledged him with a slight nod and exited. As she made her way hurriedly back through the village, she couldn't help thinking about how intriguing the pictographs on the jar appeared and how they could be of real interest to Daniel. Maybe they could even provide a small lead in the search for more evidence of their theory. "Wait until Daniel sees this," she murmured to herself as she made her way back toward the bus.


	35. Chapter 35 Discovery Part 2

Chapter 35

Sam glowed with anticipation as the bus slowed to a stop outside the hotel. She couldn't wait to tell Daniel about the artifact that she'd stumbled upon in the small village shop. Even though the shopkeeper seemed certain that it was only a reproduction, something about its intricately done pictographs bore a striking resemblance to something she'd seen beforehand. Overall, Sam didn't have much of an idea of what they represented but she didn't doubt that Daniel might know. Even if he didn't, he would definitely be intrigued – or so she thought.

She practically launched herself out of her seat and flew off of the bus, not caring to notice the curious expressions of the other passengers. She raced up the steps and into the hotel, slowing to a stop in front of the elevators. She pushed the "up" button and waited for all of ten seconds before deciding that she'd waited long enough and opting to take the stairs up the four floors instead.

On the way up to the top floor, she began thinking about how she would tell Daniel about it and what his reaction might be. She formulated possible scenarios and then dashed them away in frustration, assuming that he was probably still downstairs in the library and would get back some time after her. She grinned inwardly and hoped that she wouldn't have to go back downstairs and drag him out of there. As she reached the honeymoon suite, she quickly glanced at her watch. It was five o'clock on the dot.

She dug her room key out of her purse and was about to insert it when she realized that the door was open. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she grabbed the door handle and began wondering if she'd failed to lock it before they parted ways. She certainly hoped not.

She pushed the door open and, just after she'd set one foot inside the room, she halted in her tracks. Her eyes widened and she drew in a quick breath upon finding Daniel already back, sitting at the small round table and reviewing some handwritten notes.

Before she could react, he turned and regarded her with slight surprise, his eyebrows raised. "Sam," he started. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

Sam stared at him for a moment and then affected a sheepish smile. "I … uh, it's okay. To be honest, I didn't expect to find you back already," she said, recovering.

Daniel gave her a slightly teasing grin. "You thought you'd have to drag me out of there, didn't you?"

"Pretty much," Sam replied, grinning back.

Daniel ducked his head briefly, then looked back up at her and nodded with a dry smile on his face.

Sam finally closed the door behind her and looked at him earnestly. "Daniel, I have something to show you," she blurted out.

Daniel's smile faded. His eyes darted quickly down to his notes and then back in Sam's direction as his smile returned. "I have something to show you, too," he said vaguely, motioning her over to him.

Sam tried to put the excitement of her find temporarily on hold and made her way up to him. She looked curiously down at the notebook he was leafing through. "Find something interesting?"

His gaze met hers and an extremely pleased grin lit up his face. "I sure did," he began, excitement flooding into his voice. "I found some books on archaeology and Mayan culture detailing most of the ruins not just in this area, but in the entire country. Most of these I had already visited at some point, but there was one temple that seemed unfamiliar somehow."

Sam briefly raised her eyebrows and then grinned at him. "That sounds like a first," she teased.

Daniel ignored her as he began flipping the pages of the notebook and continued, "I read some more about it and something about it came back to me. I realized why it was so unfamiliar: I'd never gotten the chance to visit it."

Sam looked at him curiously.

"Ah, the last time I visited the area back in graduate school, we didn't have time to cover every single ruin. It was in a very remote location and we were already behind schedule in our excavations. At that time, it hadn't been studied a whole lot and I was just itching to get in there and find out what mysteries lurked inside its worn outer shell." He finished his colorful description with an awkward little chuckle, earning an affectionate smile from Sam. His face then became serious. "I was really disappointed. I tried more than once to get the professors to change their minds, but they were adamant that we had to stick to our schedule."

Sam nodded slightly, noticing the melancholy tinge to his eyes. "So, what did you learn about this temple?" she asked, moving on.

Daniel shook himself out of his reflective state and focused his eyes back on the notebook. "Well, it still hasn't been studied very extensively, but from what little is documented, it appeared to have been built in reverence to one of the gods."

Sam looked at him expectantly. "Which one?"

Daniel looked at her uncertainly at first and then turned back to the notebook. His brow creased in frustration as he scanned his notes. "Ah … actually, it wasn't mentioned anywhere."

Sam's expression matched his perfectly. "And, based on that, you think there could be something there that might correlate with your theory?"

"I'm hoping so," he said, trying to sound upbeat. "It's been excavated so little, who knows what might be there? I think there's at least a fifty-fifty chance and that we really need to check it out."

Sam looked at him, still not quite convinced.

"Sam, this theory is very important to me," he continued soberly. "If we don't have enough evidence, no one is going to take us seriously. Yes, we did find a lot of intriguing things in Egypt, but it's not enough. We need evidence on a broad scale for people to even consider that we might be on to something. Trust me, I know."

Sam studied his face and realized there was much more hidden behind the meaningful expression, as well as the serious tone with the hint of sadness in it. Her eyes became tinged with concern. "Daniel?" she asked softly.

Daniel drew in a deep breath and quietly let it out. "I'd first posed this theory not long after I earned my doctorate in Anthropology. My advisor thought it was a bit 'out there' but nevertheless, he encouraged me to go on, even if it was half-hearted encouragement. Despite the fact that similar theories had been floated around for almost ten years before, the scientific community didn't seem all that impressed. Sure, I'd published my paper, but much of the criticism I received was pretty harsh. I suspected I didn't have quite enough evidence to back up my claims and wasn't really taken very seriously as a result. I wanted to perform some excavations, dig a little deeper in hopes that I'd find more evidence, but the loss of my grants and support were a huge blow and I just didn't push it anymore." He sighed as if a huge weight had been removed from his chest.

Sam gazed at him sympathetically, a bit unsure of what to say.

"That's why this is so important to me," he continued quietly. "We shouldn't leave any stone unturned."

Sam nodded slightly and then leaned down and put her arms around him. She planted a kiss on top of his head and smiled inwardly as she witnessed the appreciative look in his eyes. "I know, Daniel," she said. She gazed at him for a moment longer, then remembered her earlier impatience and suddenly felt as if she was going to burst if she didn't tell Daniel about the jar.

Daniel noticed her expression and a small smile graced his lips. "Now what do you have to show me?" he asked.

"I was in a shop in the village center, just looking for souvenirs for Dad and Sara when I spotted something towards the back. It was a piece of pottery … a jar."

Daniel's brow wrinkled in confusion. "A jar?"

Sam nodded. "Uh-huh. I didn't know what it was at first, but it looked like one of those artifacts in the pictures of the books we were looking at, especially with the pictures – pictographs," she corrected herself.

Daniel eyed her seriously. "You think it could be Mayan?" he asked quietly.

"Yes! Actually, I'm pretty certain that it is. I showed it to the shopkeeper and he told me it looked Mayan. He insisted that it was a reproduction, though."

"Did he have any idea of what the drawings depicted?" Daniel continued.

Sam shook her head. "No. He said he didn't have an archaeological background. Whatever they were, they looked interesting and I asked him to hold it for me."

"Can we see it? I mean, today?" Daniel asked earnestly.

An affectionate little smile worked its way onto Sam's face. "I thought you would ask that," she winked before giving a nod. "The shop is open until eight, so I told him we would come for it either this evening or early tomorrow."

"Great," Daniel said. "I'm starting to get hungry. Why don't we have an early dinner, and then we can take the bus into the village?"

"Sounds good," she smiled.

* * *

After dinner, Sam and Daniel were on the bus heading for the village center, back to the shop where Sam had been earlier. Daniel seemed quite anxious about her potential find and it made her laugh affectionately to herself.

Daniel caught her quiet snickering and lifted a curious eyebrow. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

Sam blushed faintly and coughed, but she was unable to rid herself of the huge grin on her face. "Sorry, Daniel. I just … I love seeing you so excited."

Daniel's raised eyebrow lifted even higher.

"I mean, I'm excited about it, too. I'm obviously no archaeologist, but the jar looked intriguing and, if it might actually help us, it'll be even more exciting. After what you told me about the fate of your theory, seeing you so anxious and excited about this makes me happy," she clarified, ending on a somewhat awkward note.

Daniel rewarded her with a somewhat shy smile and he slipped an arm around her. "Well, if it does help us, I just might make you an honorary archaeologist, Dr. Sam," he said playfully.

"Can you do that?" Sam asked, grinning.

"Oh, I think I could find a way – might have to pull a few strings here and there, but I don't see any problem with that," he continued teasing before he pulled her closer to him.

Sam managed to let a few soft giggles escape before Daniel kissed her softly on the lips. She was about to pull him in for another kiss when the bus driver announced that they had reached the village center.

The newlyweds blushed faintly and pulled apart, Daniel clearing his throat awkwardly before they vacated their seats and headed for the front of the bus.

* * *

"What did you say the name of the shop was again?" Daniel asked Sam for perhaps the fifteenth time.

Sam grinned and shook her head. "Fine Crafts and Gifts."

"'Fine Crafts and Gifts'? I-I mean, are you sure about that?"

"Yes! Daniel, this has to be the fifteenth time you've asked me that question in the last twenty minutes!" she exclaimed.

"No need for hyperbole, Sam," Daniel muttered, sounding effectively castigated. "I just want to make sure we know where we're going."

Sam briefly rolled her eyes and snorted, amused.

Daniel ignored her and rambled on, "I think we've seen a handful of shops with that name already, or at least a slight variation on the name. No offense to the owner, but couldn't he have come up with a more unique name? I mean, it's almost six-thirty, and –"

Sam sighed. "Daniel," she said sharply. His rambling ended abruptly and he looked at her curiously. Sam continued, "Calm down. We'll find it, okay? I was there just two hours ago. I remember exactly where it is. It's just on the edge of the center." Her stern tone became gentle. "We will find it," she repeated.

Daniel looked at her for a moment and then blushed, ducking his head. "I'm sorry, Sam," he said sheepishly. "I guess I've turned into a real pest, haven't I?"

Sam smiled sympathetically. "No, it's okay. I understand how excited you are to see this. I just want you to trust me when I say I know where it is and we'll find it before it closes."

Daniel looked back up at her and gave her a faint smile. "Okay."

Sam squeezed his arm before they began walking again. Familiarity suddenly colored her eyes and she picked up her pace a bit. "There it is," she exclaimed, pointing to a small, whitewashed structure with a bright, pastel-colored awning and unmistakable sign that read "Fine Crafts and Gifts."

Two minutes later, they were inside the shop and Sam was looking for the man who'd helped her earlier on. She smiled as she spotted him at the far end of the counter, not far from where she'd seen the pottery. Daniel was studying a small, handcrafted trinket box when he felt Sam tap him on the shoulder. He obediently put it back down and followed her to the counter.

Sam's smile became somewhat shy when she drew closer to the owner, who was smiling warmly once he recognized her. "Hi," she began. "I was here earlier this afternoon … Samantha Jackson?"

Daniel's eyebrows did a quick little leap off of his forehead when he picked up on Sam's new moniker. He decided he liked it very much, just as she had.

"This is my husband, Dr. Daniel Jackson," Sam continued to the shopkeeper. "We're interested in that jar with the Mayan drawings."

"Ah, yes, the Mayan replica," the man replied. "I keep it for you over here, Señora." He turned around, bent down, and carefully removed the jar from a bottom shelf behind the counter. He handed it to Sam, who in turn held it out for Daniel.

Daniel took hold of the jar and gazed at it intently, studying the pictographs on all sides of the object as he rotated it around in his hands. For some reason, it didn't seem like a reproduction to him. His brow furrowed in thought as he scrutinized them and at last his eyes widened almost in awe.

"Daniel? What is it?" Sam asked.

His blue eyes were bright in excitement. "I think this might help us," he said very quietly, almost as if he didn't want the shopkeeper to hear.

"Señor?" Speaking of which, the tanned, older man had noticed Daniel examining the jar as well as his subsequent enthusiasm. "She told me you are an archaeologist. You know what these mean?" he asked, gesturing to the drawings.

Daniel glanced tentatively at the man before speaking. Finally he said, "Well, I don't have a complete grasp on it, but the Mayan god depicted here is Zipacna." He glanced back at the shopkeeper and, upon noticing his expectant expression, continued, "Ah, he was known as the 'Evil Mountain God' and was the son of Vucub-Caquix, the 'Underworld God.' He was … ah … quite a baddie, too, as far as gods go."

"With a name like 'Evil Mountain God,' I guess I'm not surprised," Sam remarked.

Daniel nodded quickly. "Yes, he was extremely arrogant and nasty. Four hundred brave, young warriors were sent by the gods to kill him. _He_ ended up killing _them_ by sitting on them and didn't think anything of it."

Sam winced. "Ouch. What a way to go."

"Ay caramba," the shopkeeper muttered.

"As the story goes, he came to a rather nasty end. The 'Hero Twins,' Xbalanque and Hunahpu, made him a big, delicious crab for dinner. They told him it was ready and while he was salivating over it, they chopped down a nearby mountain just as we might chop down a tree. The mountain toppled over and crushed him."

"Wow," Sam said thoughtfully. The shopkeeper nodded.

"And is this story depicted on here?" he asked, gesturing once more to the jar.

"Ah, no … not exactly," Daniel replied. "From what I can tell, it shows people making sacrifices to Zipacna, bowing down before him in an almost servile manner. I could probably learn more after studying it further," he said, making his answer vague almost deliberately.

The other man nodded. "I see."

"Anyway, it's a great piece," Daniel continued, giving the owner a slight smile. "We have a nice little collection of artifacts back home and I'm sure this will make a nice addition. How much do you want for this?"

"Oh … uh … fifty dollar," he shrugged.

Daniel's brow furrowed and he exchanged a perplexed glance with Sam. "Are you sure? I mean, this is a great piece," he repeated. "If it turns out that …"

"Daniel, let's not haggle," Sam interrupted, afraid that he'd let something more about the inscriptions slip. She reached into her purse and counted out fifty Belizean dollars. Daniel's mouth was slightly open in protest, but she promptly handed the money over to the kind storeowner. "Thanks so much for holding this for us," she added, giving him a grateful smile.

The man smiled back and took the jar from her, wrapping it in paper so it would survive their ultimate journey home. "No problem. There you are, Señora," he said kindly, handing it back to her. He then turned to Daniel. "So, you are an archaeologist, yes? Where are you from?"

"Oh, ah, we're from the United States … Colorado," Daniel replied. "I teach archaeology and anthropology at a university there."

The shopkeeper nodded thoughtfully. "Very interesting," he mused before turning to Sam. "And you are not an archaeologist?"

Sam chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, no. I'm an astrophysicist."

The man grinned at her. "You are both scientists!" he exclaimed, amused. "You are perfect for one another!"

Sam and Daniel exchanged smiles and then looked back at him. Daniel chuckled awkwardly as a faint blush stained his cheeks. "Thank you."

The man nodded and smiled as he returned the wrapped jar to them. "If that will be all, I wish you good night," he said genially.

Daniel accepted the jar and smiled. "Thank you again … oh, actually there is something else I was interested in." He handed the jar to Sam and headed back to a small display, picking up the small trinket box he'd been interested in earlier. She watched him curiously as he made his way back to her, gave the box to the man, and paid for it.

"Daniel?" she asked him, handing the jar back to him once they were outside the shop.

"For you," he said simply, a tender smile on his face. He removed the box from its bag and handed it to her. "These are Mayan symbols of love and devotion," he said, gesturing to the glyphs inscribed on the top of the box. "I thought it would be perfect for you."

Sam's mouth slightly dropped open, just a bit surprised in reaction to the gift.

"You are amazing, Sam. You have been so supportive to me in doing this research, even as it intrudes in on our honeymoon."

Sam felt a pang of guilt inside her. "Oh, no, Daniel, don't say that …" she began.

"Okay," he relented. "But the point is you've been so supportive of me ever since I presented this theory to you. You've taken a real interest in my work, which is a lot more than I can say for many of the people that I've known. You were at my side, helping me unearth and study evidence in Egypt before we were married. And finally, you brought this artifact to my attention. You want to help me uncover and provide knowledge of something that could conceivably challenge not only what we've known about our history here on Earth for hundreds, even thousands of years, but about our status in the universe; maybe even what the future holds for us. I have no doubt that we are about to become involved in something great and I'm glad that you're with me one-hundred-percent." He finished his enthusiastic speech and gave Sam a slow, tender kiss.

"Oh … my," Sam started, not expecting the kiss. A huge grin lit up her face. "You know I'm happy to be a part of this, Daniel. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity than to study something of this magnitude."

"Then it's okay if we check out that temple tomorrow?" he asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yes," she nodded before giving him a small kiss on the cheek. "You have it planned?"

Daniel nodded. "One of the tour guides who works for the hotel is familiar with the area. He will take us out there tomorrow morning. The temple is located in an inland area about sixty miles northwest of here, so it will take close to an hour for us to get there. I think that if we leave by about eight o'clock we'll have plenty of time out there. Does that sound okay?"

Sam looked at him for a moment and then nodded. "I think so," she smiled.

Daniel thought he picked up on a slight trace of disappointment in her voice. "Don't worry; we'll spend the rest of the honeymoon relaxing. I promise."

Sam's smile broadened and she gave him another kiss before they started making their way back to the center of the village to get the bus back to the hotel.

* * *

Sam sat at the table in their room with her arms folded on top and her head resting down on them. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as she watched Daniel write in his notebook as he'd been doing almost nonstop for what seemed like an hour. Ever since they'd returned to the hotel, he'd been absolutely poring over it. He explained exactly what the pictographs represented to her, which was undeniably fascinating, but the rest of the time was spent with Daniel muttering to himself as he went back over them and took notes. It was now after 8 PM. Sam was beginning to grow restless and she wanted to go out and stretch her legs. She also thought he could use a little break. 

"Daniel," she muttered wearily.

Daniel finally looked up from his notes and raised his eyebrows, regarding her curiously. "Sam?"

"Do you think you can put that down for a minute?" she asked. "I'd like to take a little walk around the grounds, maybe the nature trails." His unchanged expression prompted her to continue, "There's a gorgeous sunset out there. Come on, we both need a little break."

Daniel met her gaze and his lips edged upward into a faint smile. "Okay," he said softly. He was given a grateful smile in return as he wrapped the jar back up in its paper, set it aside, and put his notebook down.

Ten minutes later, they were strolling down the nature trails, taking in the soft, beautiful glow of the sunset and ensuing twilight. The breezes were warm and light, the air was heavy with the perfume of orchids and other native flora, and the only sounds were that of the water gently lapping at the shore, the unmistakable calls of the katydid, and the voices of occasional passers-by.

Sam smiled as she admired the beautiful flowers and scenery. She felt Daniel put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him as their gait slowed somewhat. "So, you think we might be on to something here?" she asked quietly, referring to the pictographs on the jar.

Daniel briefly looked around to make sure no one was following them. "Yes, I do. The symbols located near the representation of Zipacna are very faint, so I'm not absolutely sure, but they do seem to resemble the ones we found in the burial chamber in Egypt. And …" He came to a halt as a younger couple walked briskly past them. He waited until they were practically gone from sight before continuing, "… I think there's a decent chance that, if this temple ends up being associated with Zipacna, we might be able to find more concrete evidence in there. Actually, it doesn't even have to be associated with him. He might still be depicted in the drawings. This isn't a 'eureka!' type of find, no, but it does add one tiny piece to the puzzle. At least we know that there is a sign of some correlation with what we found in Egypt."

Sam nodded thoughtfully as they came to a stop in front of a beautiful flowering hedge. Daniel suddenly brought himself very close to her. "I think that jar might not be a reproduction, Sam," he said in a tone barely above a whisper.

Sam's eyes grew wide. "What?" she asked.

"I don't know what it is, but when I first touched it, it seemed old – the look and even the 'feel' of it seemed too old to simply be a reproduction. I think it could actually be a Mayan artifact."

"Oh, my God," Sam breathed. "The shopkeeper kept insisting to me that it was a reproduction. I wouldn't have been very interested in it, if not for the fact that the drawings reminded me of what we found in Egypt. But, you think it could be real?"

"I'm leaning in that direction," Daniel said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Right now, I can at least tell that it's old. If that is the case, it would be unlikely that whoever made this would have seen the Egyptian hieroglyphs. Cross-pollination of ancient cultures could be a factor here, but the fact that it's old means that it is most likely Mayan."

Sam smiled and nodded; glad to see that Daniel was being so optimistic. Not that she wasn't optimistic herself, but it was good to see Daniel happy nonetheless. They continued strolling the grounds, arm in arm, taking in the lush tableau around them and the almost complete stillness.

They retired to their room about forty minutes later, deciding that they should get a good night's sleep after their long day and in anticipation of their potentially longer day to follow. As they eased into bed, Daniel confirmed their plans to Sam once again, reiterating that he was certain that they would find something very interesting in the temple. Sam agreed and told him that she couldn't wait to start exploring. They snuggled together and, after an almost unending goodnight kiss, were both out like a light.

That night, Sam had an interesting dream. She and Daniel were clawing their way through dense thickets, getting stuck by thorns and eaten alive by mosquitoes. Finally, they reached a clearing and found an old, imposing Mayan temple stretched out before them. It was so large that she couldn't see the top of it. It was as if it went straight through the clouds. There was a man standing next to a ski lift that they had to take in order to get to the top. They paid him for the ride and Sam realized he was the shopkeeper who sold them the jar.

After the lift deposited them at the top, they entered the temple and began a trek through a series of twisted labyrinths. Their journey was very long and frustrating, but they finally seemed to reach an end, only to have their path blocked off by a giant wearing the costume of a Mayan god, such as those she'd seen depicted in the books. There seemed to be pure hatred in his eyes and he regarded them with an air of smugness.

"You cannot pass," he boomed haughtily, his arms folded across his chest.

"Ah … w-why not?" the ever inquisitive Daniel asked. Sam shut her eyes as a sense of dread welled up within her. He was sure to get them killed now.

"Because," the as-of-yet-unknown god exclaimed, "all I need is thirty minutes of your time!" He was now smiling and his tone became exceedingly friendly.

Sam and Daniel exchanged curious looks.

"Have you ever been introduced to the wonderful, exciting world of timeshare?" he continued in a car salesman voice as he shoved an oversized brochure in their faces.

"Ah, look, we really need to be going," Daniel said awkwardly.

"What the …?" Sam breathed as she bolted straight up in bed. She looked down and to her left, noticing Daniel sound asleep and snoring softly. "Okay, that was weird," she said, recalling the dream she'd just had. She wondered what it meant, if it meant anything at all. She shook her head and decided that she was just excited about exploring the temple with Daniel. Her last thought before she drifted back to sleep was that she hoped it would be worth it.


	36. Chapter 36 Discovery Part 3

Chapter 36

Daniel sipped his coffee thoughtfully and sighed as he looked out the window of the terrace where they ate their breakfast. It was only a quarter after seven but the sun was shining brightly, causing the cerulean water to sparkle like a thousand aquamarine gems catching the light at just the right angle. He could tell already that it was going to be gorgeous day. A part of him felt bad that they, especially Sam, wouldn't get much chance to enjoy it, as they'd be in the temple most of the day. His disappointment ebbed away as he reminded himself that this was something they had to do, that they might not get another opportunity like this. He also realized that they still had four days left of their honeymoon and he'd promised himself and Sam that they would spend the rest of the time doing more relaxing things.

As he finished his coffee, his gaze shifted over to Sam. She had been very quiet through most of breakfast and now she looked a bit preoccupied as she mashed the remainder of her home fries with a fork.

"Sam? You haven't said two words. Is something on your mind?" he asked her.

Sam stopped mashing the home fries and looked up at him, blushing faintly. She smiled sheepishly and uttered a short laugh. "No, it's … it's just something silly," she replied.

"What?" Daniel asked, leaning in toward her.

"I just had a strange dream last night," she admitted. "We were at a temple that disappeared into the sky. That shopkeeper from yesterday was there. We had to pay him to go on a chairlift ride to the top. Uh … twisty mazes – there were twisty mazes inside, and a huge giant Mayan guy, a god I think, blocking our path. He offered us a timeshare." Her blush deepened as she finished her description.

Daniel regarded her oddly and raised an eyebrow. "Um … okay. You sure you didn't have anything to drink last night?" he asked dubiously with a hint of a grin.

Sam ducked her head and snickered awkwardly. "No … uh, I mean, yes, I'm sure! I swear, Daniel, that was my dream. I'm not making this up. I guess I was just excited about our expedition today." She gave a small shrug.

Daniel studied her face and then nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "I guess that could be it," he said.

Sam returned the smile. "I really hope we find something interesting there."

"You and me both," Daniel said, his smile growing. "I have this feeling that today might be our lucky day, though."

"Again?" Sam said lightly. "Yesterday was our lucky day, too, as well as the day before. How many lucky days can a person have?"

"Don't ask that or you'll jinx it," he returned with a playful grin. He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. "Ready to leave?"

Sam nodded and they headed for the front of the room to pay their bill before heading back upstairs.

* * *

One hour later, Sam and Daniel were not so safely ensconced in a small all-terrain vehicle with their affable guide, traipsing through a dense jungle area. The terrain was a bit bumpy and they were all getting a bit jostled around. Sam secretly hoped that they wouldn't be knocked out of the jeep. 

"About how much farther is it?" Daniel spoke up.

"Not much farther," the guide returned. "Several kilometers tops."

Sam nodded and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that they were almost at their destination. A small smile graced her lips. "Daniel told me this temple was out-of-the-way, but I didn't expect this!" she exclaimed.

The guide grinned and nodded. "Oh yes, Señora," he replied. "This temple has not been excavated extensively due to its remote location." He glanced over his shoulder at Daniel. "I have to ask what interests you about this place …"

He was cut off by a loud bang, followed by the jeep coming to a sudden stop. After being thrown forward, Sam grabbed Daniel and clung to him. "What was that?" she exclaimed, nearly out of breath, as the guide managed to pilot the vehicle several yards out into a bit of clearing.

"Flat tire, I believe," the man uttered grimly.

Daniel and Sam regarded him incredulously as he climbed out of the jeep and inspected the right front tire. Its hissing sound confirmed that he had scored a flat. "Oh, boy," Daniel said gravely.

"Do not worry, Señor," the guide tried to reassure him. "I have a jack and a spare tire, so we should be moving again in no time."

Daniel nodded. Suddenly the memory of helping Walter Davis change his flat tire up near Pikes Peak flashed in his mind. "I'll help you," he blurted out, making to get up and hop out of the car. He stopped himself when he heard the other man loudly utter what was most assuredly profanity in Spanish. Noticing Sam's inquiring expression, he whispered, "You don't want to know."

The guide reappeared and rested his folded arms on top of the front passenger side door. "No need for that. The spare tire is no good," he said wearily.

Daniel's mouth dropped open. "What?"

The guide held his hands up in frustration. "The treads are all worn. If I put it on, we will probably have another blowout, maybe even before we reach the temple. It is too dangerous to ride with this tire."

Daniel's expression remained unchanged. Sam glanced at him worriedly and then back to the guide. "So, so what do we do?" she stammered.

"The nearest village is about five kilometers away," the guide began. "I will go there on foot and get help."

"Uh, then what should _we_ do?" Sam asked, sounding almost frightened.

Before the guide could answer, Daniel cut in, "We'll stay here with the jeep. We have supplies with us – some food, water – so we should be okay; at least for now." He tried to sound reassuring, but he wasn't quite cutting it.

The guide nodded and looked at them apologetically. "I'm so sorry, my friends."

Daniel shook his head slightly. "It's not your fault, Manny. We'll be fine." Sam glanced at him, hoping that he was right.

"I will come back here as fast as I can," the guide promised them. He held up his cell phone. "I will have this with me at all times. You call my number if you need anything or if anything happens." He gestured to the number on the business card he'd just handed to Daniel.

Daniel briefly looked at the card and then back at Manny and nodded. "Thank you," he said.

He didn't notice that Sam tensed up even more after Manny's last sentence. Now she was gazing almost hopelessly at the other man's retreating form. Once he was gone, she turned back to Daniel and looked at him fearfully. "'If anything happens'?" she said uneasily.

Daniel wasn't exactly a picture of self-assuredness himself, but he didn't want to make Sam any more upset than she already was. "I … I don't think he really meant anything by that," he said lamely.

"Daniel, we're stuck here in the middle of the jungle," Sam replied, her voice rising desperately. "We're all alone with the bugs and the birds …" She stopped as she heard the cries of Macaws, which sounded almost like they were laughing at her and Daniel's plight.

Worry briefly flitted across Daniel's eyes but he bit it back. "Sam, everything will be fine. I promise."

"You're trying to tell me that there's nothing to be worried about?" she asked dubiously.

Daniel sighed. "Okay, there are things to be worried about," he conceded, knowing that it would just worry her more, but not wanting to lie to her. "There are black jaguars here –"

Sam gaped at him and looked as if she was about to have a coronary.

"But it's okay. They won't hurt you if you don't hurt them," he was quick to add. Sam looked like she wasn't buying it completely. He continued, "There are two species of poisonous snake, but they're very rare. Tarantulas are also common here, but they're very shy and go out of their way to avoid human contact."

Sam's horrified expression subsided into one of bewilderment. "How do you know so much about the animals here?"

A brief grin flitted across Daniel's features. "I've been here before, remember?"

Sam rolled her eyes, annoyed with herself for letting that fact slip her mind. She ducked her head and something faintly akin to a smile briefly appeared on her face. For the most part, though, her expression remained tentative.

Finally her gaze returned back up to him, her blue-gray eyes large and still tinted with fear. "How long do you think he'll be gone?" she asked, though she was sure she already knew the answer.

Daniel shrugged, then pushed a strand of hair behind his ear and repositioned his boonie hat. "I don't know. If it's a five-kilometer walk, I would hope not very long. It all depends on whether he can find help." He trailed off, realizing that he wasn't really helping. "I'm sure he will, though," he added, his expression brightening somewhat. "It's not completely hopeless. At least we have our cell phones and a good supply of food and water with us." He gestured to the bags containing not only their supplies, but canteens of water and energy bars as well.

Sam looked away from him and sighed, barely nodding. She still wasn't entirely convinced.

"Hey," Daniel began softly as he edged closer to her and tilted her head back toward him so she could see his face. "Sam, we'll be okay, I promise. I would never let anything happen to you. You do know that, don't you?"

She met his gaze and, although she was still a bit fearful, the strong grip that fear had on her was beginning to relax. Deep concern was reflected in Daniel's eyes, but it was mixed with his strong love for Sam. Those two combined to inform Sam that Daniel couldn't be more resolute in his statement. "I do," she finally said.

Daniel pulled her into his arms and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, reinforcing the notion that he loved her and would protect her. She beamed and kissed him back softly on the lips.

They stayed in each other's arms for several more minutes before the hot tropical sun peeked out from behind a cloud and gently tapped them on the back, reminding them of its presence. They separated and Sam uttered a sheepish laugh. "I'm sorry if I sort of overreacted there."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Daniel said gently. "You didn't overreact at all. Back when I was an undergraduate, we went on a field trip to the Yucatan. The grad student who was driving the jeep forgot to fill the tank up the day before and didn't realize we were low on gas until we were in the middle of the jungle. Boy, was he in trouble." He finished with a small chuckle.

"I can imagine," Sam said quietly.

Daniel nodded, his grin growing. "You should have heard the professor. Anyway, a fellow student named Evie started getting all upset that we were stuck and was convinced a panther would eat us. She actually had a panic attack." His grin faded.

"Wow," Sam said thoughtfully. "What happened?"

"We were able to get her to calm down after a few minutes. The professor hiked back to the nearest village and was able to send help out for us. We continued on with our expedition, none the worse for wear. After we returned home, she decided she was in the wrong line of work and switched her major to Media and Communication."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion but in the end she simply shrugged. Her gaze returned to Daniel and she noticed that his eyes were now intensely apologetic.

"Sam, I'm really sorry for getting us into this mess," he said, his voice thick with regret. "If I hadn't insisted that we seek out this temple, none of this would have happened."

"Please, Daniel. You didn't know this was going to happen," she assured him, stroking his hair gently. She briefly looked away from him, trying to decide what else to say. "Maybe, in some totally preposterous way, this happened for a reason."

Daniel looked at her intently and then shrugged slightly. "Everything happens for a reason, Sam. Sometimes it's for the reason we want or expect, and sometimes it's for the reason we don't; we might not know how to explain it but it's there."

Sam's lips lifted into a small grin. She realized that his statement applied to them, whether he intended it to or not. Her meeting and falling in love with Daniel certainly happened for a reason. It was a reason that she did not intend or expect, but she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. She reached over and kissed him tenderly, burying her hands in his hair. In the process, she managed to knock his boonie crooked on his head.

"Oops, sorry about that," she laughed softly after pulling apart from him.

Daniel gave her an amused grin as he fixed the hat and tightened the cord slightly. "You know, Manny said the temple is only a couple of kilometers away," he said. "Maybe we can walk there."

Sam's expression was doubtful. "In which direction?" she asked. "Daniel, I know you want to see this temple, but we shouldn't leave the jeep here. What if he comes back before us?"

Daniel nodded. "You're right, I'm being totally unreasonable," he said, reaching into his bag for his water canteen. He took a sip and looked at her ruefully. "I'd just like to get out of here and walk a little. The sun is really starting to beat down and there's some good shade over there." He pointed to a nearby area with more dense vegetation.

Sam nodded and wiped the sweat from her brow before readjusting the souvenir baseball cap she'd decided to wear. Daniel grabbed his bag and stepped out of the jeep. He looked back at Sam and gestured for her to follow him. She grabbed her bag and hurriedly climbed out. Unfortunately she overstepped and fell, cursing under her breath as she landed on her left side.

"Sam," Daniel started worriedly, immediately making his way to her side. "Are you all right?"

Sam straightened up a bit and nodded. "Uh … yeah," she said, a bit distressed. "I think I did something to my ankle, though." She grabbed at her ankle and attempted to stand up. It didn't appear to be swollen or worse, but she had twisted it a bit.

"Can you walk?" Daniel asked.

She tried to walk a few steps, wincing slightly in pain. Daniel noticed her limping a little and he frowned. They certainly wouldn't be able to do much walking. He hoped she could make it to the sanctuary afforded by the trees and smaller shrubs from the hot sun. "You think you can make it over there?" he asked, pointing to the area once again.

Sam nodded. "I think so. I have the first aid kit in my bag and there's a sports bandage in there."

Daniel studied her face and nodded. Taking her bag and slinging it over his shoulder with his own bag, he guided her over to the shady area just on the outskirts of the clearing. They both breathed a sigh of relief as they experienced the slightly cooler temperature and the wisp of a breeze moving between the trees. Daniel spread out a towel he had in his bag for Sam and helped her sit down. She went through the first aid kit until she found the bandage. She removed her shoe and secured the bandage over her injured ankle.

"I wish I had an ice pack," she said.

Daniel took another swig of water from his canteen and then looked at it thoughtfully. "There are some ice cubes in here," he said. Before she could say a word, he unscrewed the top and reached inside. Producing an ice cube, he handed it to her.

Sam grinned in amusement as she took the cube from Daniel and held it against her bandaged ankle. A short time later, it had melted away. Sam turned to Daniel and gave him a playful, mock "now what?" expression.

"Want another one?" he asked without hesitation.

Sam snickered softly and shook her head. "No, I should be okay now. The bandage will help. I just have to take it easy."

"Okay," Daniel nodded. He sat up against her and leaned his head back, taking in the lush scenery around them as well as the myriad of jungle sounds. In addition to the Macaw parrots, there was the occasional cry of a howler monkey. Daniel began to tell Sam all about the different animals that were indigenous to the jungles of Belize – skipping over the more worrisome ones he'd already mentioned, of course.

As he scanned the area behind him, something suddenly caught his eye. It appeared to be some sort of structure, or part of one, peaking out from between the dense vegetation. "Sam?" he said tentatively.

"Hmm?" she said, turning in the direction in which he was looking.

"What does that look like to you?"

Squinting, Sam took a good long look and came up empty. "I don't know," she shrugged. "It looks like some kind of … overgrown structure, or something." She turned and noticed Daniel's eyes were now sparkling with curiosity. He edged up off the towel and took a few steps in that direction. "Whoa. Daniel, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I just want to see what this is," he said absently, not bothering to turn around. He forged a path through the overgrown foliage, silently thanking his lucky stars that he'd applied and reapplied bug spray to practically every inch of his exposed skin. He edged closer to the mysterious thing and got a good look at it from almost all sides. He realized that it was indeed larger than it seemed.

The decaying stone structure featured an entryway to a small corridor that led into a large main room. Daniel removed the small flashlight from the pocket of his cargo pants and cautiously ventured down the corridor. As he reached the entrance to the main room, his mouth dropped open. Part of the structure's domed roof had crumbled away, allowing a ray of sunshine to dance upon the ground. That wasn't the source of his amazement, however. Located at the far right end of the room was a small set of stairs, carved from the stone, leading down into a darkened sublevel.

Daniel ventured curiously over to the stairs and shone his flashlight down into the dark crevice. From his vantage point, he couldn't really make anything out. He wanted to explore it, but the reality that he would be going down there alone – which was never a good idea during an excavation – and that he'd left Sam out there tapped him gently on the shoulder. He wanted to be quick so he could get back to her. He hoped that her ankle was better and that she might be able to join him in exploring this place.

He moved away from the stairs and was about to make his way back outside when pictographs etched into the limestone wall of the structure caught his eye. As he looked them over he found they were astronomical in nature and almost resembled star charts. His eyes widened in realization. These markings, coupled with the domed roof, made him think it was some sort of observatory. Such structures among Mayan ruins undoubtedly existed and were fairly well known, but the fact that this one was previously undiscovered was quite exciting to Daniel. He was now more curious than ever about what lie in the mysterious sublevel.

He snapped out of his reverie when his ears picked up the sound of footsteps, followed by a familiar voice. "Daniel?"

Daniel turned around and drew in a quick breath when he found Sam standing at the entrance to the corridor, carrying both of their bags. "Ah … Sam," he blurted out. "Um …" His eyes traveled down to her foot. "How's the ankle?"

She quickly looked down at her ankle and back up at him. "Oh, uh, it's a lot better, actually. The bandage helped."

Daniel's startled expression faded and he gave her a little smile. "Good," he replied. "Are you sure you can walk okay?"

Sam nodded and began making her way up to him, the remnants of a small limp still present as she walked. "Sorry that I startled you like that. I just got bored sitting out there and," she said as she drew very close to him and met his eyes, "I didn't want to be alone anymore."

Daniel's smile widened and he embraced her, giving her a small kiss on the top of her head. Sam beamed and a quiet chuckle escaped her lips. "So," she started, "find anything interesting here?"

Excitement began to color Daniel's eyes once again. "Oh, absolutely," he began a touch overenthusiastically, earning an affectionate grin from Sam. "Actually I was just about to find you to tell you about this place. I think it's an observatory of some sort."

Sam's brow creased. "Really?"

Daniel nodded. He led her over to the markings on the walls and pointed to them. "Most of these pictographs have an astronomical theme, one that's quite similar to the ones seen in some temples as well as a few of the well-known ancient observatories. See, these are star charts. They would often chart the position of the stars and the planets. Over here, for example, are the planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "You can tell which planets they are by their relative size and the shape of their orbits," she pointed out, starting to get a bit more interested.

Daniel looked at her. "Oh … ah, I could tell which ones they were by the way they were referred in the hieroglyphs," he chuckled awkwardly. "Not that I'm saying you're wrong or anything," he hastily added.

Sam just grinned at him before directing her eyes back to the multitude of pictures. "Is there anything that makes these drawings stand out in some way?"

Daniel sighed. "Well, I didn't get much of an opportunity to study them closely. I wanted to get back to you and bring you over here if you were up to it."

She smiled. "Well, I'm here now."

Daniel smiled back before he proceeded to cover every square inch of the walls, studying the pictographs and hieroglyphs intently. Every so often, he would ask Sam for his notebook or the camera and would take notes or shoot a picture. A short time later, they had looked at almost everything and really hadn't found anything out of the ordinary. They were about to give up when Sam suddenly called out to Daniel, who was on the other side of the room. "I think I found something!" she said.

Daniel whipped his head around and looked at her inquisitively. "What?"

"Come here," Sam continued, excitement creeping into her tone.

Daniel raced over to where she was standing, pointing to a group of pictographs with one hand and shining a flashlight on them with the other. Daniel glanced at her expectantly, but she didn't say a word. She merely gestured toward them, wanting him to see what they were for himself.

Daniel took a closer look at the drawings, his brow furrowing in confusion. Finally, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, revealing that he now had an idea of what they were.

"Look familiar?" Sam smiled.

"Oh, my God," Daniel murmured. The drawings turned out to be quite similar to the ones found on the jar she'd found in the shop, but were much more detailed. "Sam, this is … this is incredible!"

Sam only nodded and smiled, pleased.

"I-I mean, this is just …" Daniel's excitement left him at a loss for words. He went over the pictographs again, this time attempting to translate them and explain them in detail to Sam. "Here, the Mayan people are in servitude to Zipacna. These glyphs over here are just retelling the story of how the warriors were sent to kill him but were unsuccessful."

Sam waited a bit impatiently for Daniel to get to the drawings in question.

"And here we see Zipacna, looking to the stars from which …" Daniel trailed off and sighed, disappointed. "The hieroglyphs are incomplete."

Sam's face fell and she briefly looked away from him. She really thought she'd found something that might correlate to their findings from Egypt. Instead, it was a bit of a dead end. Over time she'd come to expect that through her own studies, but this time she thought they actually had something.

"But, we do have the pictographs showing Zipacna and the planets in that familiar alignment," Daniel suddenly added, sounding a little more optimistic. "And we still have that sublevel over there to check out." He gestured to the stairs on the opposite side of the room from them.

Sam turned back to Daniel, her eyes widening. "You think there could be something down there?"

"It wouldn't hurt to look," Daniel replied. He picked up his bag and gestured for Sam to follow as he made his way toward the downward-leading staircase. He pulled a larger flashlight out of his bag and shone it down into the dark recesses of the sublevel.

Sam removed a flashlight from her bag and readied it. She looked uncertainly at Daniel, her eyes tinged slightly with fear. "Wow. It's really … um … dark down there. I hope we don't run into anything – or anyone – particularly nasty."

Daniel squeezed her arm and gave her a look of reassurance. "Don't worry, it'll be okay. I promise." He turned back to the staircase. "I'll go down first."

Sam regarded him tentatively for a moment and then nodded. She watched as Daniel carefully made his way down the small stairs, never keeping the beam of her flashlight off of him despite the fact that he had his own.

Once he hit bottom, he turned around to look back up at her. "Ah!" he exclaimed, the beam of light nearly blinding him.

Sam quickly turned the flashlight off, her cheeks flaming. "Oh, God, sorry!" she said, flustered. She looked down at him with apologetic eyes.

Daniel smiled up at her, a hint of teasing in his eyes. He stuck the open palm of his right hand in front of him, as if to confirm that he hadn't been permanently blinded. "No, I'm okay," he said impishly.

Sam's blush eased up, only to return once again as she laughed sheepishly. "I'm really sorry, Daniel."

Daniel nodded. "It's okay." He gestured for her to make her way down the steps.

Sam nodded uncertainly and then switched her flashlight back on, careful not to shine it in Daniel's face. She slowly made her way down the steps, Daniel's encouraging stance and expression guiding her the entire way. Once she'd made it to the bottom, he reached out and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him and giving her a little kiss.

"See? You made it," he confirmed with a smile.

Sam returned both his kiss and smile. Pulling apart just a bit, they shone their flashlights around the area. They took a few steps further and found it to be a subterranean tunnel of sorts. As they followed it, Sam began to be plagued by the same creepy feeling she had when she and Daniel were exploring the burial chamber in Egypt. This one was a bit more intense, despite the fact that Daniel was very close to her the whole time. Perhaps it was due to the fact that this tunnel was not as expansive as the corridors in the burial chamber, or the fact that the latter was more elaborate.

Whatever the reason, Sam couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. Every so often, she'd shine her light behind them to makes sure they were the only ones there. Sensing her fear, Daniel edged closer to her and held her hand. It seemed to make her relax, if only a small amount.

After several yards, the tunnel took a sharp turn to the right and opened up somewhat into a large room. The beam of Daniel's flashlight caught some very elaborate pictographs etched onto the wall behind what looked like an altar.

"Wow," Sam remarked as she followed Daniel's gaze.

Daniel approached the altar and his eyes widened upon finding reddish stains on its surface.

"What do you think that is?" Sam asked.

"I think I might have an idea," Daniel muttered. He made his way around to the back of the altar and stopped dead in his tracks. "Whoa."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion before she noticed what Daniel's foot was brushing up against. It was a part of bone – definitely human and most likely a collarbone. Sam suddenly remembered reading about Mayan sacrificial ceremonies in one of the books in the library. "Human sacrifice?" she asked.

"It's possible," he replied after a beat. "The Mayas did hold sacrificial ceremonies deep in caves during the late terminal classic period, but I didn't expect to find anything like this underneath an observatory."

After studying the bone for several moments, he directed his attention to the drawings behind the altar. "Wow, look how intricately done these are," he said, sounding almost mesmerized. "You can tell a lot of time and effort were put into them. It looks like Zipacna is widely featured again …"

Sam nodded as Daniel ran his hands over the pictographs, muttering softly to himself as he translated them. A few minutes had passed before he suddenly turned to her, pure excitement in his eyes. "Sam!" he exclaimed. "We've found it!"

Sam looked at him curiously. "Found what?"

"What we needed!" he continued. "And, quite possibly, a whole lot more."

She regarded him expectantly before he began his explanation of the drawings, "Okay, here we see the Mayan people in service to their god Zipacna. They serve him dutifully and present sacrifices to him. Ah, this next part here is a bit muddy – I can't really translate it without some of my reference books – but it seems to be about the selection process for sacrifices. Okay, now here is the amazing thing: we see that same alignment of the planets directly above Zipacna. The hieroglyphs depict this formidable god originating from the stars. He and his kind needed the Mayan people to survive."

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion. "What does that mean?"

Daniel shook his head in frustration. "I don't know. It's very cryptic. I'm going to have to study it a bit more to make heads or tails out of it. But," he continued as he gestured back to the drawings, "look at this. It's a different system from the Egyptian one, but it tells a very similar story. The fact that two different cultures at different times during Earth's history produced something like this with such remarkable similarities … it's incredible!" He briefly turned toward her, his eyes aglow with excitement.

Sam took in his expression and laughed inwardly. He reminded her of a little boy and she found it very endearing. Her smile faded and she nodded thoughtfully.

* * *

After a little more than one hour had passed, Daniel decided that he and Sam had all they needed. They had taken notes, snapped pictures, and taken as much film footage as they could to go over after they arrived back at the hotel. Daniel had also done some rubbings of the hieroglyphs. He realized that quite a lot of time had passed since their guide had taken off and he didn't know when he would be back. 

They gathered up their equipment, secured it in their bags, and began making their way down the tunnel and up the stairs. Daniel took one last fleeting look at the structure as Sam noted its location via handheld GPS and they headed back in the direction of the clearing.

They had just reached the shady area in which they'd been sitting previously when they heard the faint sound of a motor running. They hastened their pace and, once they hit the familiar clearing, they noticed another jeep exiting the lush area just beyond and slowing to a stop next to their jeep. A feeling of intense relief washed over Sam and Daniel when they noticed Manny exiting along with two other men.

"Manny!" Daniel exclaimed.

The other man made his way up to them, his eyes intensely apologetic. "I am sorry I took so long, Señor. These guys have found me a spare tire for the jeep. We should be out of here quickly."

Daniel and Sam nodded. "No problem," Daniel said. "We're just glad you were able to find help."

Manny nodded, grateful that his clients weren't going to give him a hard time. "What did you do all this time?" he suddenly asked, curious.

"Oh, ah … we just spent a lot of time in the shade," Daniel began awkwardly. "We took a little walk and I told Sam all about the flora and fauna of this place."

"Ah," the other man replied. Daniel inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that Manny seemed to buy his story.

After several minutes, the new tire had been secured onto the jeep and the other two men drove back to their village. Manny repeated his apology to Sam and Daniel and offered to drive them to the temple anyway. They were about to decline after all the excitement they'd just had in the previously unknown observatory, but decided it was still relatively early and didn't want the guide to have driven them into the jungle for nothing.

They spent a relatively short time at the temple, quite disappointed to find hardly anything out of the ordinary, as well as many parts blocked off. They returned to the hotel at half past noon and decided to have some lunch in the restaurant downstairs after a shower.

"So, it's possible that Zipacna could have been an alien?" Sam asked Daniel as he emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his damp hair with a towel. "Would that shed some light on the whole 'he and his kind' thing?"

Daniel's lips lifted into a content smile, glad that he and Sam were on the same wavelength. "That could very well be it," he replied as he went through the top drawer and pulled a light blue shirt on over his head. "We need to study it closer."

Another thought struck Sam and her eyes widened. "If it is, do you think the beings depicted in the Egyptian pictographs could also be aliens?"

Daniel's smile broadened. The potential support that this find might give their theory was another catalyst behind his overly happy demeanor. "We'll see," he quietly.

Sam met his gaze and returned his smile as she pondered the likelihood that they might have found something really big – something that might earn Daniel more respect within the academic community as well as something that could very well be the archaeological find of the century.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Daniel kept his promise to Sam and they spent most of the remainder of their honeymoon relaxing, although there wasn't very much to keep them from discussing their big find every so often, especially within the privacy of their hotel room. If they ever did discuss it out in public, it was in very hushed tones.

Besides going swimming and relaxing on the beach, they took a few leisurely sight-seeing tours to places like the Belize Zoo, the caves, the Maritime Museum, and Blue Hole National Park. They also visited more Mayan ruins – this time Caracol – but, at Sam's urging, stopped along the beautiful Mountain Pine Ridge on the way there. To be completely honest, Daniel didn't mind checking it out, as it afforded a gorgeous view.

As they stood in each other's arms on the second to last day of their honeymoon, taking in the magnificent scenery of the Ridge's Rio On Pools, Daniel had noticed the still, reflective nature of Sam's expression. "A penny for your thoughts," he'd prompted.

Sam blinked and shook herself out of her deep contemplation. "I was just thinking about everything that's happened this past week, everything that we've done and all the wonderful moments we've shared together."

Daniel smiled.

"I'm really going to miss this place," she continued. "We only spent a week here, but we've learned so much about its history, visited most of the towns, met some very nice people …" she trailed off and met Daniel's gaze. Her lips lifted into a broad smile. "And we found some _very_ interesting things," she finished.

Daniel pulled her even closer to him. "I have a feeling that we might just sway the scientific community with our findings," he said quietly.

Sam's smile faded. "You think so?" she asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "I mean, you think these findings and the ones from Egypt are enough?"

Daniel sighed and briefly looked out at the tall pines beyond the pools before returning his gaze to Sam. "Sam, I … ah … sort of forgot to mention that I have evidence from a previous study I did while I was at Chicago."

Sam looked directly into his eyes, momentarily nonplussed. "What?"

"I had begun studying some ancient Babylonian ruins in the Middle East and found something quite remarkable there. They were mostly writings in Akkadian – ah, Cuneiform … that detailed a conqueror named Belus. They suggested that he was not from this land. The accompanying pictographs depicted him along with a set of stars or planets. From what I was able to translate, it seemed that Belus' origin was a different planet." His tone then became regretful. "Of course, I was ridiculed, even though I had some good supporting evidence, and you know the rest of the story." Sam's intent expression led him to clarify, "I didn't pursue it any further. I've had it all stored away in a file cabinet ever since."

Sam's eyes became tinged with sadness and she nodded. "So, we'll have three sets of correlating evidence from three distinct locations at three different periods of time. That … that might be enough to convince them," she said, her tone still a shade doubtful as she briefly looked away. "The thing is that, if we get some actual recognition, this whole thing is so extraordinary it would be like a bombshell. Do you think people will be ready for it?"

"Were people ready for Darwin's 'Origin of Species' or Wegener's theory of Plate Tectonics, or Copernicus' model of the universe?" Daniel returned. Her prolonged silence prompted him to continue, "We all take chances, Sam. We have something so incredible that we just have to share with the world. Whether they're ready to hear it or not is just a chance we have to take. I would rather do so and have them reject it than keep it to myself and agonize over whether they might have readily accepted it or found it outright preposterous … wouldn't you?" He stared at her, his clear, deep blue eyes questioning.

A faint smile appeared on Sam's lips and she nodded. "Yes, I would," she finally said, sounding much more resolute. Her smile broadened when she caught Daniel's pleased, almost grateful, expression. She barely had time to react before he pulled her against him and initiated a slow, tender kiss.

"You've been so wonderful throughout this entire thing," he said affectionately after their lips parted. They spent just a few minutes more admiring the splendid vistas before continuing on to the ruins.

The next day they pretty much stayed near the hotel, relaxing on the beach and walking along the grounds once more before they had to leave. That morning, Sam had awakened feeling somewhat queasy. At first, Daniel was a bit concerned, but she surmised that it was something she'd eaten for dinner the night before. Daniel's concern ebbed away as her stomach upset eased up not long after.

* * *

The fall semester began in earnest and Sam and Daniel were trying to get back into the full swing of things. They were not quite as overwhelmed as they thought they'd be, as they had taken care of just about everything before the wedding. Luckily, they had a somewhat lighter load this term, both only teaching one class each. Moreover, Daniel's graduate student, Kevin, had been granted a second research advisor in addition to Daniel. He and the other professor would both be sharing advising duties, which turned out for the best since it would free up some time for him to concentrate on his big find with Sam. Sam herself was not advising anyone this term, so she could potentially have even more free time than Daniel.

As far as their research was concerned, they would go over as much as they could at home. Daniel had dug his files from his previous research out of the cabinet that now occupied the home office and would spend quite a bit of time poring over it with Sam. Sam found as many references on the astronomical aspect of their research as she possibly could and shared them with Daniel. The half of the desk that was not occupied by the computer was littered with books, photographs, and instruments, both writing and mathematical. Whenever they had a good chunk of free time, the two would hole themselves up inside and meticulously pick through their data and bounce ideas off one another.

They would sometimes get so caught up in their work that they'd barely take notice of the phone ringing or a knock on the door. Such was the case one Saturday, barely a week after the semester started. Daniel and Sam were in the middle of a discussion about Daniel's ancient Babylonian findings when Sam heard a light rapping on the door. She and Daniel briefly shared an annoyed look before Sam sighed wearily, "I guess I'd better answer that." Daniel nodded as she eased up off of her chair and slowly made her way out of the home office.

On her journey to the front door, the knocking sounded several more times, causing Sam to roll her eyes and mutter, "I'm coming, I'm coming." She opened the door and was immediately hit by a pang of guilt when she found Sara O'Neill standing on the other side.

"Hey there," Sara said with a slightly teasing grin on her face. "Are you finally coming out of hibernation?"

Sam regarded her curiously for a moment. "What?"

Sara shook her head in disbelief. "'What'?" she repeated. "For about a week now I've been trying to contact you guys. Jack and I wanted to come over and welcome you back from your honeymoon. But whenever I tried to call the phone was either busy or there would be no answer. What's going on – is your answering machine not working?"

A second wave of guilt hit Sam. "Oh, uh … yeah," she muttered. "Daniel must have turned it off."

Sara regarded her dubiously before a knowing look crossed her face. "Oh, I think I can figure out what's been going on," she grinned.

Sam briefly rolled her eyes and a faint blush colored her cheeks as she looked back at the other woman. "Right," she said dryly. "No, that's not all we've been doing. Daniel and I are involved in some deep research concerning a theory of his. We've been studying it since before the wedding and we've even done a bit during the honeymoon."

Sara raised an eyebrow. "What? You spent your honeymoon doing work? What's wrong with you guys?" she teased.

Sam affected an awkward smile and shook her head. "No, we didn't spend the whole honeymoon doing work. We just checked out some ruins that contain evidence linked to his theory."

Sara nodded. "Ah, so you did the whole 'tour group' thing?"

Sam nodded back and smiled. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about this. I meant to call you after we got back, but we've just been so busy with this, plus the fact that the semester just started."

"It's okay," Sara returned. "I'm just glad you two are okay and all," she joked. She stopped as she looked Sam over. "You look a little pale, Sam. Are you okay?"

Sam's eyebrows drew together. "Uh … yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Sara shrugged. "You look like you lost a little weight or something."

Sam gave a shrug of her own. "I guess I could have. I mean, we did a lot of exercising on this trip."

Sara gave her a mischievous grin. "I'm sure you did."

Sam smiled awkwardly once again and, before she could say anything else, Daniel appeared at her side.

"Sam, what's … oh, hi, Sara," he said rather absently upon noticing the other blonde in front of the door.

"Hi, Daniel," Sara returned. "Long time no see. Sam tells me you guys did some work on your honeymoon. Did you drag her to a hundred and one Aztec ruins?"

A sarcastic grin flitted across Daniel's features. "Sam had told me so much about you, but I don't remember a propensity for hyperbolic assumptions ever being brought up."

Sara fixed him with a confused look and then chuckled awkwardly. "Okay, you lost me there but that didn't sound very complimentary."

Still grinning, Daniel shook his head. "And it's Mayan, not Aztec," he corrected.

Sara rolled her eyes. "So sorry," she said dryly. She placated him with a smile and continued, "So, what are you guys up to?"

Daniel and Sam shared a look before turning back to her. "Uh … well, it has to do with ancient … um … writings from different cultures," Sam said carefully. "They show what appear to be the planets of our solar system, which is where I come in. We're trying to prove that this is the case, using old astronomical data and such."

Daniel gazed briefly at Sam. "Ah, yeah I think that pretty much sums it up," he added in the same careful tone. He and Sam turned back to Sara, who was nodding thoughtfully. They shared a sigh of relief.

"That sounds pretty interesting," she mused. "Actually it sounds like something that would be up Jack's alley, what with the astronomy stuff." A fond grin lit up her face. "So, what have you found so far?"

"Ah, some very interesting things," Daniel replied cryptically. "But we _really_ need to get back to work." A few notes of apology were in his voice as he hooked his thumb in the direction of the home office.

Luckily, Sara took the hint. "Okay. Well, I just wanted to drop something off for you; call it a 'housewarming gift' of sorts." She turned around and bent down to pick up an object that was sitting behind her, hidden from view. She presented it to Sam and Daniel and watched fondly as their expressions turned from curiosity into bemusement.

They were two medium-sized teddy bears attached together. One was wearing gold-framed eyeglasses, a light-colored wide-brimmed hat and matching outfit, and held a little decorated vase in one hand and a pickaxe in the other. The other had long eyelashes and tinted red lips, wore a cream-colored turtleneck shirt and blue suit skirt, and was holding up a telescope. It was obvious that they were supposed to represent both Sam and Daniel.

"Sara, these are … these are so cute!" Sam exclaimed before giving Sara a warm hug.

"They were Jack's idea, actually," Sara admitted.

Daniel raised an eyebrow and broke into amused chuckles. Sara looked at him curiously and he stopped, cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away.

"Thanks, this was so sweet of you both," Sam smiled.

"It's nothing, Sam. I've always thought you guys were such a cute couple and I'm glad you're together," Sara said warmly.

Sam smiled and gave her another hug before finally letting her friend go. She and Daniel waved to Sara as they watched her get in her car and drive off. "That was really sweet of her, wasn't it?" Sam said, turning to Daniel as they retreated back into the house.

Daniel said nothing but gave her an amused grin.

"What?" Sam asked, a tentative smile making its way onto her face.

"I just can't believe this was Jack's idea," he said, chuckling as he gestured to the teddy bears, which he'd set down on top of the coffee table.

Sam grinned at him and then shrugged. "Sara did say once that he could be a real sweetheart when he wanted to be. I thought I saw a pair of bears like this in their house when we were at that party," she mused. "They wore matching sweaters and had an 'S' and a 'J' on them."

Daniel looked at her thoughtfully. "Either way it is a cute gift," he conceded.

Sam nodded as Daniel put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I guess we'd better get back to work," he said softly, nuzzling her ear.

The action made Sam grin unabashedly and she turned to give him a delicate kiss on the lips before running her fingers through his hair. After a moment of pure bliss, they broke apart and made their way back to the office.

* * *

Sam and Daniel worked as much as they could on their research at home, but they also found time in between their classes and other obligations for discussion on their progress – in the privacy of each other's offices, of course. One day, almost three weeks into the semester, Daniel met Sam in her office for another such progress report. It was mid-morning, around ten o'clock or so, and Sam was quickly reviewing some notes for today's lecture in the Theory of Astrophysics course she was teaching. She wasn't feeling so great but chalked it up to not having gotten enough sleep the night before, even though she'd had at least eight hours. She'd barely uttered a soft yawn when the loud knock came.

Sam looked up and signaled aloud for the person to enter. Daniel poked his head in and regarded her tentatively, prompting her to smile softly and ask, "Hey, what's up?"

"Are you busy now?" he asked, still hanging back in the doorway.

Sam looked at her computer screen and, realizing that she had checked all her notes, looked back up at him and shook her head. "No, I'm set for this afternoon."

Daniel's timid expression melted away and he smiled as he made his way inside. He took a seat in front of her desk and looked at her earnestly. "I went back through our findings from Egypt and found something very interesting."

Sam's eyes begged him to continue. "Really? What?"

"There was no actual Egyptian god or goddess represented in any of it – not in the cartouches, not in the relief, not in _anything_. So we have the interesting problem of the Mayan god Zipacna with a possible extraterrestrial origin, same thing for Belus, but nothing about Egyptian gods or goddesses. The only things we have associated with that are those 'foreign beings' that somewhat resembled the indigenous people."

Sam's brows drew together in thought. "So, whom could those foreign beings represent?" she asked slowly.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not sure. I do wonder if they are servants of a higher type of being, whether it was one of the gods or not. We did find the goddess Sekhmet in some of the pictographs on the far side of the hidden room, but the 'foreigners' were absent. I'm not sure if we can relate them in any way …"

He was cut off by another loud knock on Sam's door. The two of them straightened up and she called out, "Come in!"

Dr. Steve McClellan smiled tentatively as he stood in the doorway. "Hey there," he said to Sam. "I just wanted to remind you of …" he trailed off as he noticed Daniel sitting in front of her. "Oh! Hello," he greeted Daniel as well.

Daniel smiled shyly and acknowledged the gray-haired man with a nod.

"Congratulations again to you both," the department chair continued. "How was your honeymoon?"

"Oh, it was really nice," Sam said, with a trace of awkwardness in her voice. "Beautiful weather and we did a lot of sight-seeing." Daniel nodded his assent.

Dr. McClellan smiled warmly. "Great. Glad to hear it." Upon noticing Sam's expectant look, he continued, "Anyway, I just wanted to remind you about the Provost's lecture series this afternoon – you know, on submarine groundwater discharge?"

Familiarity filled Sam's eyes and she nodded. "Oh … right. What time is it?"

"Four-thirty to five-thirty," Steve replied.

"I'll try to be there," she said rather unenthusiastically.

"Hope so," Steve returned with a grin. "There's going to be a great spread set up afterwards – cookies, pastries, and some gourmet coffees. They're really splurging this time."

Sam grinned as he made his way out her door. Once he was gone, she pulled an expression that was a mixture of dread and disgust.

"You don't seem too thrilled about that," Daniel noted in amusement.

Sam sighed. "I'm not," she said, scrubbing her face with her hands. "Not only do I not find hydrology very enthralling, but I'm not in the mood for any of that other stuff – coffee, cookies …" She trailed off and suddenly felt an intense wave of nausea wash over her. "Ugh. I'll be right back, okay?"

Daniel looked at her, concerned as she ungracefully rose out of her chair and made her way out of her office, her ultimate destination being the women's restroom. Just over five minutes later she was back inside, looking as prim as she did before except that her face was a bit flushed. "Sorry about that," she said apologetically.

Daniel shook his head and fixed her with a slightly worried expression. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," she said. "I just … I think I got a little nervous when Steve came in; was afraid he'd ask what we were talking about or that he'd heard our conversation. It's either that or I have a little bug. It's gone now, though. I'm okay." She gave him a reassuring smile.

Daniel's concerned expression subsided and he gave her a tentative smile in return before revisiting their initial conversation.

* * *

One day several weeks later, Daniel was in his office double-checking the syllabus for the Archaeological Interpretation course he was teaching. It was a fairly new course but the professor who had previously taught it had retired at the end of the previous semester. The object of the course was to present students with simulated archaeological data for interpretation. Daniel was more than happy to instruct such a course, as it offered a subtle way for him to get other takes on his finds without taking the risk of prematurely exposing his developing theory. So far, things seemed to be going well and, although the simulations made for interesting discussions and debates, there were no heated arguments that Daniel half expected.

He was about to run through a PowerPoint presentation for the next day's lecture when he heard a knock on his door. He straightened up, cleared his throat, and announced, "Come in."

He half expected it to be Sam, as she'd mentioned coming by his office around this time to discuss something pertaining to their progress. He briefly raised his eyebrows in surprise when he found a student on the other side of the door.

"Dr. Jackson?" the young blonde haired man questioned.

Daniel's brows drew together as he tried to recall the student's name. "Ah, Waters … Dennis, right?"

The student nodded. "Can I come in?"

Daniel glanced quickly down at his watch and sighed. "I don't have office hours now," he replied, "But I'm sure I can talk for a few minutes." He glanced back up at the younger man and smiled. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I hope this will only take a few minutes," Dennis began. "I didn't want to say this in class because, well, I didn't think it was really the place for it. The thing is, I have a problem with the essay assignment."

Daniel looked at the younger man expectantly. "What kind of problem?"

The student looked Daniel squarely in the eyes and assumed a difficult stance. "Well, first of all, we are supposed to create two different theories using the same sources. Do you know how difficult that is, especially concerning the simulations you presented to us?"

Daniel lifted an eyebrow at him, not quite understanding what the exact problem was. "Ah, well, that's the entire point, Dennis," he said. "It's not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to make you think. Challenging work such as this is par for the course in a 300-level class. Being a junior, I thought you would know that." He was starting to get irritated, but his tone remained diplomatic.

Dennis snorted, as if he was annoyed with himself deep down. Still, he kept his unyielding eyes trained on Daniel. "With all due respect, Dr. Jackson, the assignment is _lame_."

Daniel was momentarily struck by the student's admission, but he merely gave him a calm, disarming smile. "I'm sorry you feel that way," he said in a matching tone. "However, it _is_ the assignment." He was quick to add, "And it's worth twenty percent of your grade."

"Twenty percent of my grade?" The student repeated, as if it was the first time he'd heard about it.

Daniel simply nodded. "It's on the syllabus," he said matter-of-factly, pointing to his copy pinned up on the small corkboard on the wall to his right.

"Twenty percent of my grade to come up with two different theories for something like finding an Egyptian sarcophagus in a Mayan temple?" Dennis chuckled incredulously, though there seemed to be some derisiveness lurking behind it. "Which leads me to something else that I wasn't comfortable bringing up in class, Professor: these 'simulations' of yours aren't very realistic. I mean, finding a sarcophagus in the example I just gave made out of a material that has an extraterrestrial mineral signature? Come on! We'd probably never run into those kinds of things in the 'real world.'"

Even though this was only a student's opinion, Daniel couldn't help feeling a tad insulted. His brow furrowed in frustration and he drew in a deep breath. "Can I ask you something, Dennis? Why did you sign up for this course?" Failing an answer from the younger man, he continued, "I mean, there has to be a reason, right? It's an optional course for the Archaeology track and not many students from other disciplines take it for their upper division requirements."

Dennis gazed down at floor. "I just didn't think the simulations discussed would be so 'out there,'" he muttered lamely.

"Did you read the course description? It requires you to think outside the box, or at least attempt it. Problem solving is a skill that is useful far beyond the confines of archaeology, Dennis. In archaeology, the ultimate objective is to interpret the past. In this course, my goal is to teach you how to do to that by solving problems presented in different simulations. They are simulations, but there is nothing wrong with thinking outside the box. If you yourself have any simulations you'd like to present based on evidence that intrigues you, you can always submit them to me and I'll have you discuss them during a lecture period or two. I'm always open to hearing other people's ideas," Daniel finished, hoping he'd gotten through to the belligerent student.

Dennis realized his argument really didn't have a leg to stand on, so he started backing away from Daniel's desk.

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, Professor," Dennis replied, his tone letting on that he was still not very happy.

"Okay, then," Daniel replied, affecting another disarming smile. "See you tomorrow afternoon. And remember, that paper is due in three weeks."

Dennis snorted as he turned and headed for the door. "Hard ass," he muttered as he exited and began sauntering down the hall. On the way, he passed a fairly tall, blonde-haired woman who regarded him oddly for a moment before making her way up to the professor's door.

Sam knocked and then stuck her head in Daniel's doorway. Her expression turned apologetic when she saw him sitting back at his desk with his eyes shut, sighing miserably. "Can I come in?" she inquired.

Daniel kept his eyes shut and nodded. Sam made her way inside and quietly shut the door behind her. She took one of the chairs from the small table and brought it next to Daniel's desk. He opened his eyes and looked at her as she took a seat.

"Boy, he wasn't in a very good mood," she remarked, referring to the student.

Daniel looked at her wearily and nodded.

Sam gave him a sad smile. "You look like you could use a break and a good cup of coffee."

"I think I could use a whole _pot_ of coffee," Daniel replied.

Sam chuckled sympathetically before reaching over to stroke his hair and kiss him on the cheek. "I have to talk to you. Do you want to go get a cup of coffee first?"

Daniel studied her face and then gave her a little smile. "Okay," he replied.

Several minutes later, they returned to his office from the Anthropology faculty lounge, Daniel with a cup of coffee and Sam with a cup of tea. "What's with the tea, Sam? I thought you were as addicted to coffee as I was," he said with a teasing grin.

Sam gave him a slight smile and then shrugged. "I am. But my stomach is still a little upset so I didn't want to take any chances. I thought some weak tea would be better."

Daniel's brows drew together. "You're still feeling sick?" he asked, sounding very concerned. "I thought you seemed a little 'green' during breakfast this morning. How long has this been going on?"

Sam took a deep breath and slowly let it out, avoiding Daniel's eyes the whole time. "Um, since not long after we got back from our honeymoon. But it's not a huge problem." She finally met his gaze and noticed the dubious expression he was giving her.

"Sam, don't you think you should see a doctor? It's been three weeks since the honeymoon. It could be something serious."

"I just think it's a little bug, Daniel. Maybe I picked it up while we were down there. You know how those stomach viruses can sometimes take a while to go away," she insisted.

Daniel looked at her for a moment and then nodded. "I guess. So, what did you have to tell me?"

"I studied the alignment of the planets in both the Egyptian and Mayan glyphs and they don't match any alignment of those in our solar system during either of these periods in time. The Mayan ones do differ from the Egyptian ones on a small scale, mostly because of planetary shift over time. But the bodies that are represented do not resemble our planets in any way, shape, or form. I can confirm that it is most likely not our solar system and that it depicts these beings coming from somewhere else in the galaxy." She ended her statement with a little smile.

A matching smile grew on Daniel's face and he nodded slowly. "That's great, Sam. We should have a lot of incredible evidence to present to the Archaeological Institute of America in just over a month."

Sam turned and fixed him with a stunned expression. "What?" she asked in a small voice.

Daniel's smile grew. "I just heard back from them and we're giving a grant proposal presentation to them on the twenty-fourth of October."

Sam smiled brightly for a brief moment and then her expression became colored with worry. "Do you think we have enough time?"

Daniel met her eyes and nodded. "I do. We're practically finished, now that you've confirmed the astronomical aspect of it. I've started writing up all the evidence as far as the anthropological aspect is concerned, so all we have to do is weave your half into it, make sure it all makes sense and flows well, do a few practice talks, and we should be fine."

Sam nodded and a slightly uneasy expression found its way onto her face. Daniel couldn't be sure if it was due to her feeling overwhelmed or nervous, or if she was feeling queasy again. His eyes tinged with concern as he looked at her. "I mean it, Sam. You really should see a doctor. I hate to see you sick, even if you think it's just a little bug. I want to be sure that you're all right. Promise me you'll make an appointment before we give this presentation?"

Sam wasn't nearly as concerned about her health as Daniel was, but she conceded to herself that waking up with the need to vomit every morning was just a tad annoying. Plus she was feeling a bit more tired than usual. Anxiety seemed to plague her a bit more as well, but she chalked it up to the research they were involved in, coupled with the newness of the fall semester.

She looked down the floor and sighed as she felt Daniel putting an arm around her. "Okay, I'll make an appointment with the doctor next week." She looked back at him and chuckled softly upon witnessing his grateful smile. "I better get going," she said as she made to get up out of the chair. "I have to attend colloquium at four."

Daniel nodded. "See you later," he said softly, gazing at her tenderly as she made her way to the door.

Sam turned back to him and smiled before exiting and shutting the door behind her. On her journey out of the SBS building and across campus to her own department, she became mired in deep thought over their evidence and how they would present it to the Archaeological Institute of America. She hoped that she and Daniel would be able to convince these people that they were on to something very big and wonderful.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: When I started this story back in April, I never thought it would take 8 months to complete and end up being 38 chapters long. I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story and given me feedback. Your comments inspire me to keep writing. Thanks again!

Chapter 38

September turned into October much too quickly and the few weeks leading up to Sam and Daniel's grant proposal presentation were so busy that they seemed like mere days. Nevertheless, in that span of time the two of them were able to get much done in preparation for their big talk. They'd double-checked all of their sources, written at least five rough drafts before settling on a decent final draft, and had worked on a suitable PowerPoint presentation. They'd also both taken half a day off the day before they were to give the talk. Luckily, Sam's class was in the morning and Daniel's class didn't meet on that particular day. Sam had the perfect excuse to skip out on this week's colloquium as well, the topic being "Dissolution of Clay Minerals," or something to that effect.

That last day before the presentation, Sam beat Daniel home. She'd just finished a late lunch and was at the kitchen table sipping a cup of weak tea when the phone rang. Startled, she drew in a quick breath and put her hand to her heart before easing up out of her chair and making her way over to the phone. As she picked it up, she neglected to look at the caller ID and half wondered if it was Daniel, calling to tell her he was running a bit late for some reason. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sam, it's me," Sara greeted.

Sam smiled faintly. "Hey," she returned. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to wish you and Daniel good luck on that presentation you have to give tomorrow," Sara said.

"Oh, uh … yeah … thanks," Sam said, momentarily surprised.

"You're welcome. So, you're going before Archaeological Institute of America, huh? Really impressive!" Sara practically gushed.

Sam blushed faintly and coughed. "Um … yeah, I guess it is," she said shyly.

Sara recognized the note of uncertainty in her friend's voice. "Are you okay?"

Sam released an explosive breath in an attempt to quell her anxiety. "Yeah, I am. I'm just a little nervous," she replied in understatement.

"I don't blame you," Sara empathized. "You didn't tell me much about what you were doing, but from the way it sounded it must be something very important. I can only imagine that Daniel is just as nervous as you are."

A smile lit up Sam's face. "If he is, I sure haven't been able to tell," she said wryly. Her smile then faded. "I think he's had a lot more practice than I have. From what he's told me, he's given a lot of talks before. I don't know if he's given any to prestigious institutions like this one, but, with two doctorates and various masters degrees, he must be pretty used to it by now. I haven't given a presentation of this magnitude since …" she trailed off, her memory bypassing the small-scale departmental lectures she'd given from time to time. " … Well, since my doctoral defense, and that was almost seven years ago."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll do fine," Sara said gently.

"I hope you're right."

"Enough with this 'I hope you're right' stuff; I know you can do it. You were always such an over-achiever in school," Sara said with a hint of affectionate teasing in her voice.

Sam couldn't help but break out in another smile. "And you would never let me forget it," she chuckled softly. "Thanks for the encouragement. I think I'm going to do some more preparing, then lie down and take a little nap before Daniel gets home."

"Okay. Speaking of which, how have you been feeling lately?" Sara asked.

Sam shrugged. "Not too bad. I'm still a little sick during the mornings, though."

"Did you go to the doctor?"

Sam felt another blush diffusing across her cheeks. "Yes," she answered simply.

"And …?"

"I really don't want to discuss it. I have to do some more preparing," Sam replied after a beat, her tone neutral.

"Uh … sure," Sara said carefully. "But, everything's okay?"

Sam's lips lifted into a faint smile. "Yes, everything is okay. Thanks again for the encouragement, Sara."

"What are friends for, Sam?" the other woman said genially. "Good luck again and be sure to tell me how it went, okay?"

"I will, thanks. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Sam replied before hanging up the phone. She sat down, sighed, and went back to her cup of tea. She soon found herself getting drowsy. The realization that she was working a bit too hard and really needed some rest made its way to the forefront. She finally decided that she would lie down for a little while. She headed for the bedroom and collapsed on top of the bed. Boy, it felt good to lie down. There was a little voice nagging her that she really needed to make sure everything was okay for tomorrow, but she quickly ignored it and drifted right off to sleep.

She wasn't sure exactly when Daniel had gotten home but, when she awoke, she found him standing above her, a tender smile on his face and his deep blue eyes radiating concern. She briefly looked down at herself and found a knitted afghan draped over her. Her gaze returned to him and she smiled weakly. "When did you get home?" she asked.

"Almost an hour ago," Daniel replied.

At this, Sam's eyes widened. "Oh, my God, what time is it?" she asked, suddenly flustered.

Daniel held up his hands. "It's okay, Sam," he said in a placating tone. "It's only five o'clock."

"We need to practice the presentation again, don't we?" she said.

Daniel shook his head. "I think we have all the practice we need. If you want, we can go over it once more after dinner, but I don't think it's really necessary." He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down toward her. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked quietly, his eyes colored with concern once again.

Sam brought herself to a sitting position and nodded. "I'm okay. I just needed a little rest. I guess my body decided I was working too hard." She smiled sheepishly.

Daniel smiled back and began stroking her hair. "We've both been working very hard," he conceded. "But all our hard work will pay off tomorrow. We are the architects of a bold theory that could very well question some of their most deeply held beliefs about ancient cultures. Whether they are ready to accept it or not remains in question. I am confident that they will accept it, one way or another."

Sam pulled the afghan off herself and gazed at him lovingly. She was far from completely confident, but his sparkling eyes and self-assured smile made her believe that they would pull it off. They were a true team and she was committed to her team member in more ways than one. "I can't argue with that," she replied. She covered his lips with hers and they shared a slow, tender kiss. Sam felt a comforting warmth flood her body and it helped relax her.

Their lips parted and they gazed into each other's eyes until Daniel finally spoke up, "How about an early dinner and then we can do one more practice?"

Sam slowly nodded. "Okay. I hope you don't mind if I'm not really up to cooking."

Daniel smiled again. "I was just going to suggest we order in some Italian food. Sound good?"

Sam gave him a grin and nodded. "It's a deal," she chuckled.

* * *

Sam and Daniel practiced their talk one last time that night, each playing audience for the other and giving advice when they thought something needed to be changed or some point emphasized. They practiced early so they could get to bed early and have a good night's sleep. They went to sleep that night a bit more confident that they would do their absolute best in front of the members of the archaeological society. 

The big day was now upon them and Sam's anxiety seemed to increase tenfold. She now couldn't wait for them to get it over with.

"I am so nervous," she said as she watched Daniel go through the slides of their presentation up at the podium. She was sitting in a seat in the first row, making sure that they had the projector set up correctly so that the slides would be viewable to the audience.

Daniel looked over at her and nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile.

Satisfied that they had the laptop and projector positioned in the right spot, Sam rose from her seat and joined Daniel at the podium. She nervously glanced at the screen as Daniel went through the thirty slides one by one, checking them one last time for errors.

"Oh, uh … my father called early this morning while you were out," she said. "He wished us good luck and wished that he could have been here with us." She gave an awkward little smile.

Daniel looked up from the screen and turned to Sam with an appreciative smile. "Your dad is a great guy."

Sam's smile remained as she nodded. She watched Daniel as he went back over the slides, left the podium and walked over to one of the seats to check the projector's position for himself one last time, and then returned to the podium. She noticed how relaxed and generally stress-free he appeared and it made her envious.

"How do you do it, Daniel?" she asked, managing a small grin.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her curiously. "Do what?"

"You're so calm. Here we are, about to present our theory to the scientific community with our reputations at stake and I've got butterflies in my stomach." She chuckled ruefully. "You're as cool as a cucumber. How do you do it?"

A hint of a smile peeked out of the corner of Daniel's mouth as his eyes darted around the room and he leaned in toward Sam. "Want to know a secret?" he asked her conspiratorially. Sam gave him an expectant look, prompting him to continue, "I'm not."

She furrowed her brow in confusion and regarded him dubiously.

"Well, not completely, anyway," he clarified. "Anytime I worry that I'll misspeak or something will go wrong, I just use the time-honored tradition of picturing the audience in their underwear." He gestured to the multitude of empty seats facing them. "I imagine all these seats filled with serious, stuffy, distinguished academics all in their unmentionables."

Daniel's mock haughty tone sent Sam in a fit of giggles, relieving some of her tension. He was glad to see her relaxing somewhat and it made him smile. "I was never one for packing lecture halls anyway, so it wasn't really anything I had to worry about," he muttered with a hint of self-deprecation.

Sam merely nodded as she tried to calm down, and then sighed as he patted her arm and gave her a tender smile, nearly whispering, "It'll be fine." Before she could say anything in reply, the sound of footsteps drawing closer echoed just outside the large conference room.

The two of them turned and found an unfamiliar-looking man standing in the doorway. As he entered and drew closer, Daniel recognized him as Dr. Robert "Bob" Milner, another colleague of Daniel's from the Anthropology department and a member of the Archaeological Institute of America. Daniel had known him ever since he'd first arrived at UCCS and they had become good friends. He was one of the very few people Daniel had told about his theory and perhaps the only person besides Sam who didn't think it was totally preposterous.

"How are you doing in here?" Dr. Milner asked.

Daniel afforded a quick glance down at their setup and back to the older man. "I think we're all set now," he replied before sharing a glance with Sam.

Bob nodded and gave them a smile. "That's good. It looks like people are starting to congregate out in the lobby," he said before glancing quickly down at his watch, "which means you should able to start right on time; not very typical of people in this field." He chuckled at his quip.

Daniel joined him and Sam uttered a short, nervous laugh. "The geosciences people are just as bad, maybe even worse," she said.

"Well, I just wanted to wish you both the best of luck." He looked pointedly at Daniel. "My own personal opinion, I think you have enough evidence to convince them of your theory's implications. You'll do fine."

Daniel smiled and thanked him. Watching the half bald, gray-haired man take a seat in the third row, Sam began to tense up again. Daniel noticed it and he gave her arm a little squeeze. He didn't speak but his eyes and smile were brimming with confidence and gave her the encouragement she needed. She straightened up and returned the smile just as people were beginning to file into the room.

As soon as it appeared that everyone had taken their seats, Bob Milner began a brief introduction of Sam and Daniel and summarized their presentation in about two sentences. He then took his seat and gestured for them to begin.

_Here we go_, Sam thought to herself as Daniel began his introduction on a somewhat timid note. It didn't take long for him to get into his rhythm and the more he spoke, the more confident Sam became that they would pull this off. She patiently waited until he needed her to elaborate on any of the astronomical aspects of their findings.

* * *

"… Thus, it would seem very likely that the beings represented in these pieces of evidence are aliens," Daniel said passionately as they came to the end of the presentation. 

He waited for the usual barrage of comments that he'd come to expect by now, but the room was stone silent. It was as if everyone was seriously mulling his argument over and it left him momentarily nonplussed. Sam was less surprised but, given the nature of their theory, she expected at least a few people to have questions.

Finally, a man near the middle row of seats raised his hand. "Dr. Jackson," he began with a slightly crooked grin on his face. "What do you think of these 'aliens'? Are they friendly or not?"

"Ah, well … I'm not sure," Daniel began, completely serious despite the questioner's somewhat flippant tone. "But our evidence from the Mayan hieroglyphs would suggest that they are not. I mean, Zipacna is one of them and, as most of you probably know, he was quite a bad one." He chuckled awkwardly before continuing, "The pictographs from all three cultures depict the civilization in question in service to the gods with the exception of the Egyptian one. It appears that they are coexisting with what we deemed the 'foreigners,' although several cartouches show the indigenous people in service to them as well. It is possible that these 'foreign beings' are in service to one of the gods."

"Which god or goddess do you think they are serving?" the other man continued, trying to mask some amusement in his voice.

"I, ah … I don't really know," Daniel replied, momentarily thrown. "The cartouches don't make it clear. Sekhmet was depicted in one of them but the 'foreign beings' were absent, so it is still inconclusive."

"Do you think Sekhmet is an alien?" Another man asked in a slightly patronizing tone, earning a few chuckles from his colleagues.

Daniel was half expecting this, but nevertheless he was still becoming a bit frustrated. "I don't know," he repeated. "I've … we've … studied it as much as possible and have come up empty."

There were a few murmurs of discontent and some people looked like they were ready to get up and leave. Sam could feel her frustration growing. At first, she wasn't very confident that she and Daniel would be able to convince the audience of anything. However, the more Daniel presented evidence and clearly explained every aspect of their theory, the more it made sense to her. She didn't think she did a very bad job of explaining her part of the research either, almost surprising herself at how calm and confident she was throughout the whole thing.

As several people began to rise from their seats and eye the exit, she realized she had to do something. She tried to explain the astrophysics aspect in as simple a way as she could, since it was not their area of expertise. She now thought that maybe she should go a bit further or at least reiterate the points she made.

"Um, I'd like to repeat something that's very important here," she spoke up. She quickly glanced at Daniel and noticed he was slightly surprised for a brief moment. She turned back to the audience. "If this whole theory was supported only by archaeological evidence, I would agree that it might not be entirely viable. However, the astrophysical evidence is quite strong. As I mentioned before, astronomical data confirms that the position of the planets depicted in the pictographs is strikingly different from any alignment of the planets in our solar system during these periods of time. And, as Daniel mentioned before, the Akkadian glyphs are quite different from the ones in the Sumerian relief, which is quite reliable in itself."

She paused briefly, realizing that she was sounding almost as passionate as Daniel had been moments earlier. She knew that this theory was just as important to her as it was to him. "In short, the evidence reveals that the planets depicted in each bit of evidence are _not_ planets in our own solar system. The writings and pictures combine with this notion to make our case very strong."

She stepped back and glanced over at Daniel. The leftover surprise in his expression faded and was replaced by a soft smile. A few mumbles of dissent were heard before Daniel took his spot at the podium once more. "Questions?" he asked.

At that instant, a flurry of hands and pointing fingers went up. Daniel pointed to a woman at random and gestured for her to speak.

"I … I'm sorry, this is all just a little hard for me to believe," she said, a hint of weariness in her voice. "I honestly don't see how –"

"Dr. Jackson," a portly bearded man cut in brashly, gesturing toward Daniel.

Daniel shot an apologetic look at the woman and then turned to the man, raising his eyebrows.

"I vaguely remember reading a paper of yours that detailed these Akkadian writings," he began thoughtfully. "I believe it mentioned that famous Sumerian relief back then as well."

Daniel nodded. "Yes," he answered.

The other man adopted a smirk and shook his head. "Your wild suppositions made for some entertaining reading. I just can't believe you decided to rehash it all for yet another preposterous conjecture."

Sam worried her lip as she glanced over at Daniel. She thought she saw a spark of anger briefly flare up in his eyes, but it quickly dispelled.

"With all due respect, sir, it was completely appropriate for me to bring this up because it relates to our theory one-hundred-percent," Daniel replied calmly. "I'm sorry that you find it preposterous, but that does not mean that I shouldn't have included it with our evidence. I can understand why my ideas back then might have seemed preposterous to you, but I now have more evidence to back them up. Next question?"

The portly man harrumphed quietly as he sat back down. A rather short, bespectacled man sitting on the aisle edged slightly up out of his seat and raised his hand. Daniel nodded at him, prompting him to speak.

"Despite what my colleague here has said, Dr. Jackson," he began, gesturing subtly to the portly man. "I have to agree. I just don't see this theory as being viable. I mean, Earth being visited by aliens hundreds and thousands of years ago, at different periods in its history? And furthermore, important mythological figures are included among these aliens? It's just way too out there." He shook his head sadly.

"Exactly," another man spoke out of turn. "Evidence from highly-accredited sources just does not support this."

All this time, Sam had been quietly taking in all the criticism, growing more dismayed and even annoyed. Daniel began to hem and haw a bit while she walked up to the podium again. "Excuse me, can you tell me what sources?" she broke in, her tone stern but still passing for diplomatic. She folded her arms across her chest.

The man regarded her blankly before he threw out a name of a scientist who'd argued that the Sumerian relief was unreliable because it included an extra planet. Sam inwardly scoffed, as she knew that the extra planet did not belong to the solar system, but was a body with a very elliptical orbit that would pass through the solar system once every few thousand years or so. This man had no basis for his argument and she realized that he and his colleagues were just trying to come up with any excuse for rejecting her and Daniel's theory.

She gazed at them incredulously as they began rising from their seats and making their way out of the room. "How could this be preposterous?" she asked. "This is hard data!" She gestured to a slide showing the astronomical data on the position of the planets.

The short, bespectacled man who previously asked a question was still seated. "I don't doubt that you are correct as far as the position of the planets not depicting our solar system, but the archaeological evidence is just too murky," he said lamely as he got up and made his way toward the exit.

"Murky?" Sam mouthed to Daniel. Daniel briefly rolled his eyes and shrugged. She watched in futility as the room emptied out, leaving them to close out their slideshow, shut down the laptop, and disconnect everything in silence.

Sam groaned softly when she spotted Bob Milner making his way back into the room. _Great, insult to injury_, she thought as he drew closer to them.

The older man looked at Daniel and Sam apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said. Daniel gave him a tiny shrug and then smiled, witnessing the look of encouragement in the other man's eyes.

"Keep up the good work," he said quietly to them before turning and exiting the room.

Sam sighed heavily as she watched Daniel resume disconnecting his laptop from the projector. She brought the laptop case over to him and then sat herself down in a front row seat, her hand resting against her chin. "I can't believe this," she said, her expression a mixture of disappointment, dejection, and even leftover anger and disbelief.

Daniel stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Concern filled his eyes as he made his way over to her and sat down next to her. He sighed audibly and then turned to her, intently meeting her gaze. "It's not the end of the world, Sam," he said gently.

At this, Sam looked up at him incredulously. "How can you say that when a room full of people just ridiculed us?" she asked quietly. Her voice then turned bitter. "I feel like I've been spit upon."

Daniel gazed at her sympathetically. "I know," he said, despite the fact that she was overreacting a bit. "There have been times when I've come out of lectures feeling less than two inches tall myself. But at least we tried." He pulled her close to him and began stroking her hair. "We took what we had and, knowing that there was a chance we might not have been well-received, we presented our ideas anyway. We just have to keep trying."

Sam realized he was right and nodded.

"We _have _to keep trying," he continued, his tone resolute. "In our fields, those who give up are better off not even trying in the first place. When you have something really amazing to share with the world and you believe in your heart that it's true, you don't give up. There might be a few rough patches along the road, but we don't end the journey. We'll just keep trying and, one day, we will succeed."

Sam's lips lifted into a tender smile. Daniel could read the emotions that filled her eyes and danced across her face. She was in complete agreement with him and wasn't about to give up on the journey that began the day she met him. She wrapped her arms around him and initiated a tender kiss. Once their lips parted, they gazed soulfully into each other's eyes and Sam silently reaffirmed that she was with him every step of the way. Daniel smiled, rose from his seat, and reached for his laptop. Giving her arm a squeeze, he said, "I'm starving. Want to get some lunch at O'Malley's? It won't be a victory party by any means, but we can think of it as a thanksgiving meal."

Sam lifted an eyebrow and looked at him oddly. "Thanksgiving isn't for a whole month," she said with a hint of a grin.

Daniel grinned back. "I know that. I meant thanksgiving with a lower case 't.' We have a lot to be thankful for. I know I do, especially for meeting someone as amazing as you. Sam, I'm thankful that I spilled a mocha triple latte on you," he said teasingly.

Sam snickered softly. "I never thought I'd be thankful for a guy spilling half a cup of hot coffee down my blouse, but there you have it," she returned.

Daniel's grin eased into a tender smile and his lips covered hers for another tender kiss. He gazed lovingly at her and caressed her cheek with his hand before kissing her softly on the forehead. "I'll be right back. I just want to lock this in the car," he said, gesturing to his laptop.

Sam nodded and then watched Daniel exit the room, smiling at his retreating form. She stood for a few minutes, lost in thought before she glanced down at her belly and stroked it gently. A content smile spread across her face and she thought, _Yes, I do have a lot to be thankful for._

_

* * *

_

Epilogue

April 2002

Daniel paused to brush his hair out of his face as he sat hunched over the desk in the office, poring over some more archaeological evidence. This time it was from the southern Peloponnese region of Greece. He and Sam had spent a week there during the university's spring break studying some ruins. Daniel had speculated that the god Pelops who was depicted in murals might have had an extraterrestrial origin and the pictures basically confirmed it.

Daniel smiled as he went over the writings and pictures. In the almost five years that had passed since they had found the amazing discoveries in Egypt and Belize, they had more evidence to support their theory. Incidentally, Daniel had revisited the evidence from Egypt and was able to find something that he didn't the first time around. It pointed to the likelihood that Sekhmet was an alien and the "foreign beings" might have been in service to her. He and Sam had tried several more times to get funding but had failed. Just over a month ago, Sam had mentioned in passing something about trying for government grants. Daniel didn't think all that much of it, but admitted that government grants were pretty lucrative and they'd be fools not to try for it.

He made a few notes in a notebook and then looked up as he heard someone bounding into the room. A little boy with large, blue-gray eyes, a mop of dark blonde hair in a style similar to his father's, and an infectious smile hurriedly made his way up to Daniel.

"Hey, Jake," Daniel smiled.

"Hello, Daddy," the almost-four-year-old Jacob Melburn Jackson replied shyly. The way his face lit up was identical to the way Daniel's did when he smiled.

Sam wasn't far behind and was also smiling. Daniel's gaze shifted up to her and he smiled lovingly. "How was the park?"

"Terrific," she replied. "Jake found a spot all to himself in the sandbox and went straight to town, digging away. Then he tried to build a little pyramid out of it. I think he gets it from your side of the family." She gave him a teasing grin and a wink.

Daniel chuckled and reached down to affectionately tousle his son's hair. Jake giggled and then looked at Daniel expectantly. Daniel bent his head down and let the little boy muss up his own shaggy mop of hair. Jake giggled some more and squealed with laughter as Daniel began tickling him.

Sam watched them contentedly. As their laughter subsided, she spoke up, "It's a beautiful day, Daniel. Why don't you take a break from that for a while and join us?"

Jake looked pleadingly at Daniel. "Can you come to the park with us, Daddy? Please?" the precocious child asked.

Daniel afforded a fleeting glance at his paperwork and the small VCR and TV on which footage of the Greek mural had been paused. "Aw, why not?" he finally said. He turned off the equipment, pushed his chair back in, and picked Jake up. The little boy laughed happily.

"To the park," Daniel declared as the three exited the room.

* * *

Sam and Daniel sat on a bench, watching Jake play in the sandbox. He managed to create something vaguely resembling a pyramid and then pretended to "excavate" a toy he'd buried in the sand. The two of them gazed at him fondly.

"Mrs. Marcello says that he's an extremely bright child," Sam said, referring to Jake's nursery school teacher.

"Mmm. He always shows such an enthusiasm for learning. It's wonderful to see," Daniel agreed.

Sam nodded. "I'm glad that I'm only teaching part time now so that I can spend more time with him. I can't bring him to the school with me and I don't want him to end up like those kids who spend all day everyday in daycare and then become latchkey kids when they get older. Before she died, my mom always spent a lot of time with me and Mark and I want the same for Jake."

"I know," Daniel said quietly. "Remember, my parents were the same way with me when I was a little boy. I wouldn't want any less for Jake. Oh, speaking of which, I heard from them last night."

Sam looked at him curiously. "And…?"

A smile spread across Daniel's face. "They will be able to fly out here for Jake's birthday next month."

Sam's face cracked wide open in a smile. "I'm really glad they'll be able to make it. Dad already said he would be getting some leave so he'll be here as well. I really hope he'll get that transfer to Peterson so he'll be a little closer."

Daniel nodded and then placed an arm around her, stroking her now shoulder length blonde hair. Sam's smile faded as she leaned a little closer to him. "So, have you made any progress on that mural?" she nearly whispered.

"Sort of," he replied. "I cracked some more of that code and I think I know what Pelops' winged chariot represents."

Sam's eyes widened and she looked at him expectantly.

"We'll talk about it later," Daniel said.

She nodded. "By the way, I think we might be getting that government grant," she said with a hint of a smile on her face.

Daniel looked at her curiously and furrowed his brow. "What? Are you sure?"

Sam's smile grew and she nodded. "A representative from the Air Force wants to meet with us next week."

Daniel raised his eyebrows but said nothing. His surprised expression prompted Sam to laugh softly. Once she calmed down, she continued, "I didn't give them a definite date because I wanted to talk to you first. But a Major Paul Davis wants to discuss something with us. Oh, and he's bringing a Dr. Catherine Langford with him. Do you know her?"

Daniel's brows drew together in thought. "That name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't place it," he replied after a few moments. He looked at her a bit uneasily and said, "I'm not too sure about this whole thing."

"Daniel, you said yourself that military contracts are pretty lucrative. There's no harm in trying for one, is there?"

He looked at her intently and then shook his head. "No, there isn't. It's just that, after our streak of not so great luck, I'm surprised about this. It seems too good to be true."

Sam nodded. "I know. They left a phone number, so I think we should call them back first thing tomorrow."

"Okay," Daniel said, smiling softly at her. "There are no classes on Tuesday, so maybe we could do it then."

Sam smiled at him and then sought Jake out. "Jake? We're going home now," she called to him.

The little boy reluctantly fished his toy out of the sand with a small shovel and made his way back to his parents. Sam laughed and smoothed down his hair as she gathered him up in her arms. They each exchanged kisses before making their way out of the park and heading back home.

THE END


End file.
